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Acknowledgements and Notes

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need to thank some very supportive people, without whom this project never would have happened. Thanks to Elizabeth for being you; thanks to Miroslav for running such a wonderful website; thanks to my playtesters: Roman, Mike, Karen, Pete, and Arch; thanks for all the supportive emails, and suggestions, from people too numerous to name; thanks to Brian Fargo, Interplay, and Black Isle for making such great role-playing games; thanks to Michael Owen and Itsatrap, the Scorpion Hunter, for ideas and rules regarding condition modifiers to armor; megathanks to Ausir for compiling the most comprehensive list of missing items and errors, and to Roman for compiling another useful list; thanks to Chris Taylor of Interplay for making the publication of this game a possibility; thanks to Ausir (again!) for pointing our more errors and inconsistencies; thanks to Zillameth for setting me straight on the conditions of towns in the Fallout universe; thanks to the entire Fallout PnP Yahoogroup (Egroup) for the inspirational discussions, especially about weapons and weapons modifications – without you, this ignorant progressive still wouldn’t know the difference between a chamber and a magazine. Thanks also to No Mutants Allowed and Freelancer, who provided me with pictures of weapons so I didn’t have to make hundreds of screenshots. Some names and images in this book are copyright Interplay Productions, Inc., and are used with permission. Some images are copyright Paragon Software, and are used with permission. This is officially version 2.0 of the Fallout: PNP RPG rules. I’ve kept all the rules from the game’s SPECIAL system intact, except for gun damage, which I modified – without any change to the resulting numbers – for ease of play on a tabletop. Heavy weapons, artillery pieces, and vehicles I had to completely make up on my own; for my sources, please see the bibliography at the end. I made some tweaks here and there to make the rules a little more “realistic,” like allowing both barrels of a double-barrel shotgun to be fired at once. I included some other weapons for the sake of realism and variety. If

there is a glaring error or problem with the game, please feel free to email me at unasoda@hotmail.com and I will be happy to make the necessary changes. Version 1.1 changes – Added condition modifier rules for weapons and armor, fixed simple typos, fixed factual errors regarding “canon” Fallout locations. Version 1.2 changes – Adjusted Louisville Slugger damage, fixed various typos and tweaked sentence structures, added Perks previously left out, adjusted rolls to reflect errata in the Fallout readme files, added Karma errata, added the optional, streamlined Burst Fire rules. Version 1.5 changes – Tweaked sentence structure and grammar to make the book more readable and to clear up several confusing passages, fixed spacing and format problems; fixed several minor errors; added canon location “Scrapheap,” fixed the index; added a detailed vehicle combat system; added pictures of weapons, armor, and equipment; overhauled racial aspects of character creation and added new races to reflect Tactics additions; added new Traits and Perks from Tactics; added new weapons and armor from Tactics; added some non-redundant armor from Wasteland; added helpful essays; added the Table of Contents; added character archetypes; added a “sample adventure.” Version 2.0 changes – mostly tweaks on additions in the 1.5 version. Reformatted many of the pages. A Word About Role Fallout Universe Playing and the

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reating a role-playing game is much like a high-wire act in the circus: one walks a very fine line attempting to please as many people as possible. Fallout: Pencil and Paper RPG was created for two groups of gamers – those who enjoyed the Fallout computer games and wanted to have a tabletop version for their Saturday night roleplaying sessions, and those people who had not played the computer game but were interested or curious in the postNuclear role-playing environment. It is my sincere hope that this game provides the best experience for both kinds of RPG groups.

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Fallout: Pencil and Paper RPG was designed to be flexible in its rule structure. The system of character creation and combat was drawn directly from Fallout’s SPECIAL system, because it is one of the more intuitive RPG systems I've encountered. However, because a computer can do many calculations in a short amount of time, and keep track of millions of variables, the combat system can get a little complex at times. I've tried to provide a character sheet that places all the necessary numbers in one place for ease of use, but some players may find that tedious. Which brings me to my next (and last) point. This book is designed as a guide. The reason we role-play is to allow our imaginations to take us to another world for a brief time. It is not to sit there and roll dice and punch numbers into a calculator all night. I've roleplayed with both kinds of groups, and when I've GMed, I've leaned towards the first kind – more story, less dice and numbers. I would skip looking up tables and such and make things up on the fly. For rules junkies, there are plenty of tables and things to keep you going. I even encourage you to make your own tables for things like critical hits, perhaps using mine as a guide. For those more prone to loose, formless role-playing, feel free to discard tables, rolls, or whatever else suits your fancy. The idea behind this game is to have fun, so if you find something doesn't work for your group, please feel free to get rid of it. I’ve omitted some of the Tactics rules, or changed others slightly, because they are rules that belong more in a tactical combat simulator than a roleplaying game and would probably unbalance a PnP RPG. For example, I kept the original Fallout 2 idea that ghouls could wear the same armor that humans could, and I changed the way that First Aid and Doctor skills were used in combat (healing people completely in 1 round would have seriously unbalanced the game). I’m sure diligent players will note other changes as well; please keep in mind that I’ve carefully considered those rules and the spirit of a tabletop RPG, and adapted them accordingly. I get a lot of emails imploring me to add things to the game; since this is as

exact an adaptation of the SPECIAL system as I can make, I usually only add things that are “canon” or are obviously missing from the game. However, there are some things in the games that are fairly redundant. You may not see every weapon in Tactics in this manual, because one much like it already exists. It actually appears that some of the weapons in Tactics are factually incorrect as well; when I’ve noticed a factual error in a weapon description or a kind of ammo a gun uses, I’ve tried to fix it and maintain the spirit of the game. One more thing: I realize this is very confusing, but the Fallout world uses the Metric system to measure everything except weight, which is measured in standard-system pounds. I prefer metric because of the easy conversions, but since the game was originally programmed and created by Americans, weight probably slipped through the cracks. Sorry about that. I’m not going to change it, either.

Part I - Introduction
"Imagine all the people, harmony." - John Lennon, Imagine living in

Equipment for Gameplay ach player needs a set of percentile-dice (two ten-sided dice, with one die representing the "ones" column and the other representing the "tens" column of a two-digit number). The Gamemaster needs a set of normal RPG dice as well (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20). The group might want to have a pool of extra 10-sided dice for ease of play and rolling burst attacks all at once, as well. Each player also needs a character sheet (provided in a separate file), a pencil, and a bit of imagination. The Gamemaster needs this book and a little more imagination. A single hex-sheet is helpful, although not absolutely necessary. Every character can provide their own miniature figure to use on the hex sheet, and the Gamemaster may want to think about getting a few generic critter figures and some scenery (trees and ruined buildings, walls, etc), although these are not necessary either. You can pick up dice at any gaming store or comic book shop, and hex-sheets are also usually available at these kinds of stores. Other games like Warhammer 40K and Battletech use hex-sheets, and you can sometimes order them from these companies’ catalogues. Miniatures are a little more difficult; for the budgetminded gamer, green plastic grocerystore army men work very well, and fit perfectly on a hex sheet (you can also use the vehicles and obstacles some sacks of these toys come with). For the aesthetically-minded gamer, you can spend literally hundreds of dollars on detailed miniatures from model railroad stores for that immerse gaming experience. Glossary Universe of Terms in the Fallout

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magine for a moment a world without politics. Imagine a world without religions, where people's views no longer mattered, where there was no longer any distinction between old and young, rich and poor, Atheist or Believer, liberal or conservative. Imagine a world where every person was equal regardless of skin color or ethnic background. The United States and Russia have over 30,000 nuclear devices in their arsenals as of February 2001. It would take 800 such devices to end most human life on this planet. In the half-hour between the launch of the missiles and the detonation of the last bomb, it would not be difficult to imagine a world where racial, religious, class, and national distinctions no longer mattered. In the days and weeks after the bombs, the remaining people would struggle to survive in a vastly different environment. The Earth as well as humankind would bear the scars of that wound for hundreds if not thousands of years. Fallout is a post-nuclear RPG set sometime after a great nuclear conflict in the year 2077. 99% of humanity and a good deal of other life perished in the nuclear war. Of course, millions still survived, although some were altered beyond imagination. One can play Fallout either as a campaign-oriented RPG, with a series of smaller adventures in a larger story, or as a single-story game with a minimum of involvement in the larger workings of the world. It can be played on a single Saturday night with two or three friends or in a group of 7 or 8 two or three times a week for months on end. The only limits are scheduling and the bounds of imagination.

Combat: A sequence of events that takes place on a hex-grid in rounds of approximately 10 seconds each. Resolves with all parties that intend each other harm either fleeing or dead. Critter: A critter generally refers to a non-human NPC. Death: Death occurs when a character's hit points drop below 0 and no medical treatment is readily available. Death is final in the Fallout universe.

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Experience (XP): A numerical measure of the character's collective experiences in the Fallout universe. When a character has enough Experience points, she goes up a Level. Fallout: A series of games from Interplay Productions, sequels to their popular Wasteland RPG, set in a postnuclear universe; the same universe in which this open-ended RPG is set. Also, the radioactive dust particles scattered after a nuclear device detonates. Gamemaster (GM): The Gamemaster is sort of a storyteller and judge rolled into one. The GM relates the story to the players, telling them what their characters are experiencing, and they have a chance to control their character's responses. The GM does the majority of the dice rolls and controls all Non-Player Characters. The GM's word in any situation is final, and overrides even this rulebook. After all, it is the Gamemaster's world. Being Gamemaster requires a little imagination and a normal set of dice (1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 2d10, 1d12, 1d20). Karma: A measure of whether a character has done more good than evil, more evil than good, or a healthy balance of the two. Level: A measure of the Character's "rank" in the Fallout universe. When a Character gains a Level, it represents that they have gained enough Experience from their actions that they have a better grasp of the world around them. Non-Player Character (NPC): A Character in the Fallout universe that is not controlled by a Player; these Characters are controlled by the GM. Perk: A Perk is a special reward character gains every few levels. a

basic abilities, and include Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. Rank: Not a position, but rather measure of the "level" of some Perks. a

Rolls Against __: When you see this, an action requires a dice roll against a specific Stat or Skill. Rolls against Primary Statistics use 1d10 and must make equal to or less than that particular Stat to succeed. If a character’s Stat is higher than 10, it doesn’t effect the roll against that number – the action will still succeed no matter what. Some rolls against Stats have penalties – this is where racial maximums will take effect. Rolls against Secondary Statistics and Skills use percentile dice (2d10) to do the same thing. A roll of 2 when rolling against Endurance, when your EN is 4, means your character managed to fight off the deadly plague. A roll of 75 when rolling against a 40% Outdoorsman skill means your character did not find the mutated cactus with the water that would have saved her life. Some rolls are made by the GM, without the characters – or players - knowing the result. Round: A round of combat is generally about 10 seconds long and lasts until all critters in combat have their turn. Secondary Statistics (Derived Statistics): These statistics are derived from mathematical formulae using numbers from various sources, such as Primary Statistics, Equipment, and so forth. Skills: A numerical measure of how good your Character is at different skills in the Fallout universe. If you have the right skill, you can do anything. To Hit: After is the number in combat to with a critter all the modifiers, To Hit you need to roll against have your weapon connect and do harm to it.

Player: The Player is one of the human participants in the game, more specifically a human in control of a character, called the Player Character. Player Character (PC): A Character in the game universe controlled by a Player. The Player's "Alter Ego" in the Fallout universe. Primary Statistics (Statistics, Stats): Primary statistics measure a Character's

Trait: Traits are bred-in abilities that make characters more unique. Most are often double-edged swords, and cannot change throughout the game. Turn: A turn in combat consists of one critter or character performing their actions. A turn lasts for 10 seconds of

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game time; however, all turns happen "simultaneously" within the 10-second combat round.

Gameplay

aspects of a character are determined. In general, Primary Statistics are not altered after the game begins. For more information on what specific Statistics mean to the game, see below, Character Creation Part Four - Statistics. Skills There are 19 skills a character knows. These are the skills a character learns as he or she travels the highways of life. Not all of them are covered in the Boy Scout Handbook, either. They are: Small Guns, Big Guns, Energy Weapons, Unarmed, Melee Weapons, Throwing, First Aid, Doctor, Pilot, Sneak, Lockpick, Steal, Traps, Science, Repair, Speech, Barter, Gambling, and Outdoorsman. Skills can go up all the time, and can sometimes go down. For more information on what specific Skills mean, see Character Creation Part FiveSkills below. Traits Traits are an optional part of a character. They are usually doubleedged swords, giving a bonus as well as a penalty, making your character unique. See Character Creation Part Three Traits below for a list of Traits and their effects. Perks Perks are special abilities a character gains every few levels, and sometimes just for doing something extra neat in the game. Perks sometimes effect skills, or will make gameplay more interesting. Perks never penalize the character, they just do good things. For a list of perks, see Advancement: Perks in Part III: The Game. Karma Just like in the real world, the postnuclear world has a system of morals. Performing certain actions can raise and lower a person's karma. Rather than an abstract idea of morality, punishment, and reward, karma in Fallout is a numerical value of how many good or bad things a character has done. Karma also connotes a person's reputation among the other inhabitants of the wastes. Do enough good things, and word gets around. Do enough bad things, people know about it. Really good people tend

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ameplay begins with character creation. If everyone already has a character, go ahead and skip this part.

Part II: Creation

Character

Character Creation Part One: Character Concept
“Who are you?” Tom Stoppard, Guildenstern are Dead Rosencrantz and

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hink about what your character will be like. Your character is your alterego in the Fallout universe. Will your character be a gun-happy sniper? A dune-buggy racer? A sneaky thief? A fast talker who can squeak past the armed guards with a good excuse? A boxing champ, strong but slow? A beautiful seductress who takes what she wants after the moment? The possibilities are endless. It might be a good time to familiarize yourself with the character sheets at this time, and learn a few terms. Throughout the character creation process and a good deal of the game explanation, we will be following the examples of Jack and Jane, our unassuming and politically correct friends.

Character Terminology
Primary Statistics There are 7 Primary Statistics, or Stats that describe various attributes of a character: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. These are the character's strengths and weaknesses, and are the limits by which other

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not to associate with really bad people, and vice-versa. If a character is really good or really bad, or performs an action that heavily affects their karma one way or another, they can sometimes get a karmic perk. Most of the time, these just describe a usually well-known aspect of a character, but can sometimes give bonuses for being especially good (or evil). Maybe there is something to this karma stuff after all. In addition to normal karmic perks, there are special karmic perks that a character can pick up along the way, and you can bet that they will have some kind of major impact on the character's life. A beginning player's karma is always zero. Secondary Statistics This is a catchall category for many of the other parts of a character that do not fall under any of the previous slots. Many of these do not change all that often, except for those related to armor. Secondary Stats include Armor Class, Radiation Resistance, Poison Resistance, Healing Rate, Unarmed Damage, Action Points, Carry Weight, Damage Resistance, Sequence, and Critical Chance. For more information on these statistics, see Character Creation Part Four - Statistics.

experienced gamers ONLY, very difficult to play.

as

they

are

Note that races have minimum and maximum statistic numbers; this means that the statistics for any given race cannot go below a minimum number or exceed a maximum number. The player will want to make a note of these numbers for later, when he or she assigns his or her character statistics. In addition, each race gains perks at a different rate; this can combine with various traits that effect how fast a character gains perks (see Traits, below). The player will want to note the rate at which his or her character gains perks on the character sheet, in the appropriate section by the experience points box. Some races have innate Radiation and Poison Resistances bonuses. When calculating these secondary statistics (see Secondary Statistics, below), add these numbers to the character’s base resistances. Note that Deathclaws and Dogs are considered “animal” races. Human Your basic human. Two arms, two legs, two eyes. You and me. Humans gain no bonuses or penalties to their basic statistics, except a 30% resistance to electricity, and gain a perk every 3 levels. Humans weigh anywhere from 110 to 280 pounds, and stand around 1.5 to 2.5 meters tall. STR 1 10 PE 1 10 EN 1 10 CH 1 10 IN 1 10 AG 1 10 LK 1 10

Character Creation Part Two Race
“He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what’s his reason? I am a Jew.” - The Merchant of Venice, Act III, Scene 1:45-8 Before going any further, the player needs to choose a race. All are human, or were once human, but each have different advantages and disadvantages. There may be more races out there. The post-nuclear world is a big place, after all. Non-human races are usually campaign and world specific; this means that it won’t always work with the plot for everyone to play a robot, especially if the GM was counting on a low-tech story. In addition, Deathclaws, dogs, and robots are recommended for

Minimum Maximum Ghoul

When the bombs hit, some people were irrevocably changed (and not just the ones who were atomized at ground zero, either). Ghouls are humans who were

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alive when the bomb went off, and the radiation altered them at a cellular level. Ghouls enjoy an extremely slow cellular mitosis rate, rendering them essentially immune to the effects of old age. The radiation also changed their outward appearance, forever marking them as outsiders. Their skin hangs off their bones, sometimes in shreds, and sunken eyes peer out from skulls twisted and burned by radiation, giving these unfortunate people their name. Their skin can be anywhere from pale white to dirt brown in color, with green and yellow the most common. When they do have hair remaining, it usually does not grow. Some ghouls were inexplicably merged with plant species, and have shrubs and moss growing out of various parts of their bodies. It might have twisted their bodies, but the radiation did not affect their minds, and they are forced to live as misshapen outcasts, fully aware of the society they were once part of, but also aware they can never rejoin it. For this reason, many ghouls have formed settlements of their own, or live in settlements with humans and mutants who do not mind their appearance. Unlike their mythic namesakes, ghouls do not eat human flesh. They do, however, require a small amount of radiation to survive, and for this reason, one can often find a population of ghouls around a leaky nuclear reactor or an impact crater from the war. Ghouls age very slowly, and their lifespan is a whopping 300 years past when they were exposed to the radiation. Their unnaturally long lifespan does not mean that they can't be killed by other means, however, and ghouls are just as vulnerable to disease, falls, and bullets as everyone else. Ghouls usually weight anywhere from 80 to 160 pounds, and stand anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 meters tall. Whether or not ghouls can reproduce is a subject open to scientific debate. Ghouls have a natural 80% Radiation Resistance bonus along with a 30% Poison Resistance bonus. Ghouls gain a perk every 4 levels. Luckily, Ghouls can wear any kind of armor that normal humans can wear. STR 1 8 PE 4 13 EN 1 10 CH 1 10 IN 2 10 AG 1 6 LK 5 12

Super-Mutant Super mutants (or just mutants, as they prefer to call themselves) are not the product of "natural" aftereffects from the war, but a race created by one person, the insane overseer of a particular Vault who wanted to create a master race. Using biological research from a prewar military installation, he developed the Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV) and began performing experiments on people. Many died before he achieved the desired results. After "dipping" the person in a vat containing the FEV virus, they would emerge and undergo an intense physiological change. They grew much stronger and more intelligent, as well as growing in height and stature. Armies of Super-Mutants were once slaves to this Master and his dream to "dip" every human on the planet, but the Master was eventually killed and the mutants freed (although to hear them tell it, the Master was more of a Messiah than a madman). Like ghouls, mutants age very slowly, but not as slowly as their cousins. Mutants are generally huge, easily reaching 2.8 to 3 meters in height, weigh up to 350 pounds, and come either male or female. Their skin is usually a greenish yellow color, and various bunions and growths cover their bodies. They have hair in all the usual places, but it usually grows slowly (a result of the slowed cellular mitosis from the FEV virus). Although sterile for a long time after the "dipping," mutants can eventually have children, among themselves or a half-mutant, half-human hybrid (see Half-Mutant, below). Unfortunately, like ghouls, mutants are largely outcast from human society. Many of them prefer it this way, looking on human society as diseased or inferior because of the prejudice and corruption that still exist. Mutants were once part of what they see as an attempt to finally unite humanity and overcome humankind's weaknesses, and it is rumored that vats of the FEV virus still exist, and a mutant society is at work

Minimum Maximum

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attempting to achieve this after the Master's death.

goal,

even

Mutants enjoy a 50% Radiation Resistance bonus and a 20% Poison Resistance bonus, and gain a perk every 4 levels. They gain an additional 2 hit points per level. Mutants cannot easily use small arms; when using a weapon that requires a roll on the small guns skill, mutants make the roll as if their Perception were two points lower. Mutants gain a 25% bonus to their Damage Resistance for all types of attacks, too. Mutants can easily live 200 years beyond when they were "dipped." Mutants born of a mutant-mutant union mature at the same rate a human does, and generally live around 250 years. Mutants cannot wear armor designed for humans; they just don't make it their size. Someone in that vast wasteland might, however. STR 5 13 PE 1 11 EN 4 11 CH 1 7 IN 1 11 AG 1 8 LK 1 10

scaly skin ranging from brownish-green to light yellow. Their heads are abnormally large and have horns growing out of them, suggesting lizard DNA and human DNA might have been stirred together in the evolutionary soup at some point after the War. Some tribes of Deathclaws in the Midwestern and Eastern United States have developed patches of fur, adapting to the more extreme climate conditions found there. Deathclaws live in tribes of anywhere from 25 to 100 individuals, and spend most of their time protecting the egglaying females and hunting. They can communicate quite effectively with each other, and can use simple battle plans. Some Deathclaws are intelligent enough to learn the nuances of human language, although they cannot actually “speak” as we do – they simply imitate human speech in much the same way a parrot does, except their “voice” is often deep, gravelly, and is prone to affecting strange accents. One tribe of Deathclaws, the Grey tribe of Northern California, was the subject of scientific intelligence-creating experiments, and its members are far smarter than the average mutant lizard. Deathclaws get their name from the footlong bony claws growing from their “fingers.” This means that they always have a built-in melee weapon; it also means they cannot use any other weapons besides their claws, ever. In addition, Deathclaws cannot use armor; no one makes protection for giant lizards. Deathclaws are some of the most hated, feared, and misunderstood creatures in the wastes – when walking among humans, an appropriate disguise, such as a loose-fitting robe with a cowl to cover the head, is an absolute necessity. Most people will simply attack a Deathclaw on sight, or attempt to run away as fast as possible. Deathclaws gain a perk every 4 levels, and gain 2 extra hit points per level. They stand about 3 meters tall, and

Minimum Maximum Half-Mutant

Where there is a will, there is a way. Half-mutants (or halfies) are the product of a union between mutant and undipped human. They do not enjoy as many of the abilities as full mutants, but neither are they as outcast; many of them can pass for tall, ugly humans. They live a little longer than normal, and are a little more spry than their mutant parents. There are not too many halfies in the world, and a halfie is sure to have an interesting story or two to tell. Halfies gain 15% bonuses to their Radiation and Poison Resistance, and gain a perk every 3 levels. Halfies can wear normal human armor (although it might be a little tight) and can often live to the ripe old age of 150 years. They stand about 2 meters tall and weight from 150 to 300 pounds. STR 3 12 PE 1 10 EN 2 11 CH 1 10 IN 1 10 AG 1 8 LK 1 10

Minimum Maximum Deathclaws

Deathclaws are a race of semiintelligent, enormous, mutated lizards. They walk on two legs, stand more than two meters tall in adulthood, and have

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weigh up to 400 pounds. In addition, they enjoy a +5 melee damage bonus, a 0/40 Gas Resist, and have a 40% Resistance to Normal, Fire, and Explosion damage with a Damage Threshold of 4 for each of those damage types. Deathclaws only live for 15 years, and reach maturity (adventuring age) at around 4 years. Deathclaw Attacks Claw Swing (Melee Weapon): Dmg. 3d8+MD AP S: 3 T: N/A B: N/A Claw Stab (Melee Weapon): Dmg. 2d10+MD AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Gore (Unarmed): Dmg: 2d8+MD, 75% chance of knockdown. AP S: 4 T: N/A B: N/A Note that the numbers in parenthesis are for Grey Tribe Deathclaws. STR PE EN CH Minimum 6 4 1 1 Maximum 14(12) 12 13(11) 3 Dogs Dogs are four-legged, furry, slobbering beasts. Extremely good-natured and even-tempered, they are usually loyal to one human master or a group of humans, who in return shower the dog with love, affection, food, and milkbones. Dogs in Fallout are no different than their real-world counterparts. They can stand anywhere from 60cm to 1.5 m at the shoulders, and walk on all fours. Most are covered with hair, ranging in color from white to brownish-tan to black, and usually a combination of anything in between. Since dogs have no opposable thumbs, they cannot use weapons or tools of any kind, and they cannot communicate except by barking, wagging their tails, and pointing with their snouts. Dogs cannot use armor unless it is specially made for them, and they cannot carry items unless someone creates a device that allows them to. Even then, they cannot pick IN AG 1 6 4(8)16 LK 1 10

anything up on their own, except with their mouth. For these reasons, dogs are very difficult to role-play well, and the GM and players should take this into consideration before allowing a player to create a dog character. Dogs gain perks every 2 levels, and live between 10 and 15 years. They gain no other bonuses. Dogs can weight anywhere from 30 pounds to 150 pounds. They also get an innate 50% bonus to Electricity Resistance. It’s a dog’s life. Dog Attacks Bite (Unarmed): Dmg. 2d6. B: N/A AP S: 3 T: 4

Before the War, several companies and research facilities were manufacturing humanoid-robots. These machines weren’t artificial intelligences per se, but had incredibly fast supercomputers that allowed them to “reason” on the same level as many humans (and, in some cases, to reason better than their creators). Robots are very rare in the Fallout universe, and should only be played as characters if it fits the plot of the campaign. They almost always come from high-tech areas or installations, and are usually only part of an adventuring party associated with high-technology (in other words, tribals usually don’t keep robots). Robots can communicate with humans using memorized speech patterns, and even have some of their own unique Traits (see Traits, below). Many people in the wastes will find speaking robots to be more of a sideshow curiosity than an actual being, and will not deal with one unless it is part of a larger group; they simply do not recognize the robot

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as a sentient creature - and whether or not a robot is sentient is open to debate. Robots stand approximately 2 meters tall, but can vary in size from 1 meter to 3 meters, and usually weight from 300-400 pounds. They are made of metal and silicon, and are usually a white, light tan, or light grey in color. Robots cannot wear armor, but they can use weapons and tools. Robots require some regular maintenance, which they can perform themselves if not incapacitated. A robot must have someone roll a successful Repair and Science skill while examining it for 12 hours at least once a month. If this maintenance is not preformed, the robot begins taking 1d10 points of damage every 24 hours beyond the deadline for the repairs. Robots take damage as normal, but they do not heal hit points back over time (see Healing, below). Instead, robots must be repaired. A successful use of the Science skill on a robot will act like a successful use of the First Aid skill on a flesh-and-bone character, healing 1d10 hit points. In addition, if the robot has a crippled limb or another medical malady such as blindness, it takes a successful roll against Repair to “heal” that body part. For more details, see Healing, below. Robots are immune to the effects of radiation, poison, gas attacks, and chems. Robots never gain perks. They enjoy a 40% Damage Resistance to all kinds of attacks, but unfortunately are affected by EMP (pulse) weapons. Robots don’t have a “lifespan” per se, but each unit has a battery that generally lasts anywhere from 75 to 150 years. Of course, that battery can be replaced, effectively allowing the robot to continue operating forever, so long as it continues to get a fresh power supply. STR 7 12 PE 7 12 EN 7 12 CH 1 1 IN 1 12 AG 1 12 LK 5 5

permanently affect things like Skills, Primary Statistics, and Secondary Statistics. Some traits are not available to every race, and some traits are only available to robots or animal races. A character can pick two traits, one trait, or no traits at all. A character can never have more than two traits. Fast Metabolism Your metabolic rate is twice normal. This means that you are much less resistant to radiation and poison, but your body heals faster. You get a 2 point bonus to Healing Rate, but your Radiation and Poison Resistance start at 0% (racial modifiers are added later). Robots cannot choose this trait. Bruiser A little slower, but a little bigger. You may not hit as often, but they will feel it when you do! Your total action points are lowered, but your Strength is increased. You get a 2 point bonus to Strength, but loose 2 Action Points. Small Frame You are not quite as big as everyone else, but that never slowed you down. You can't carry as much, but you are more agile. You get a 1 point bonus to Agility, but your Carry Weight is only 15 lbs X Strength. One Hander One of your hands is very dominant. You excel with single-handed weapons, but two-handed weapons cause a problem. You have a 40% penalty to hit with twohanded weapons, but get a 20% bonus to hit with weapons that only require one hand. Animals cannot choose this trait. Finesse Your attacks show a lot of finesse. You don't do as much damage, but you cause more critical hits. All of your attacks lose 30% of their damage (after reductions are made for Damage Resistance, etc.) but you gain a 10% bonus to Critical Chance. Kamikaze By not paying attention to any you can act a lot faster in This lowers your Armor Class what you are wearing, but you much faster in a combat turn. no natural Armor Class (Armor

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Character Creation Part Three - Traits
Traits are an optional part of the character creation process. They simply describe an aspect of the character's personality or physical description, and

threats, a turn. to just sequence You have Class is

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therefore 0 regardless of Agility). You must wear armor to get an Armor Class. Your sequence gets a 5 point bonus. Heavy Handed You swing harder, not better. Your attacks are very brutal, but lack finesse. You rarely cause a good critical hit, but you always do more melee damage. You get a 4 point bonus to Melee Damage, but your critical hits do 30% less damage, and are 30% less likely to cripple a limb or cause unconsciousness. Fast Shot You don't have time for a targeted attack, because you attack faster than normal people. It costs you one less action point to use a weapon. You cannot perform targeted shots, but all weapons take one less action point to use. Note that the Fast Shot trait has no effect on HtH or Melee attacks. Animals cannot choose this trait. Bloody Mess By some strange twist of fate, people around you die violently. You always see the worst way a person can die. This does not mean you kill them any faster or slower, but when they do die, it will be dramatic. Just how dramatic is up to the Gamemaster. Jinxed The good thing is that everyone around you has more critical failures in combat. The bad thing is: so do you! If you, a member of your party, or a non-player character have a failure in combat, there is a greater likelihood the failure will be upgraded (downgraded?) to a critical failure. Critical failures are bad: weapons explode, you may hit the wrong target, you could lose part of your turn, or any number of bad things. Failures are 50% more likely to become critical failures around the character or anyone else in combat. Good Natured You studied less-combative skills as you were growing up. Your combat skills start at a lower level, but First Aid, Doctor, Speech, and Barter are substantially improved. Those skills get a 20% bonus. You get a 10% penalty to starting combat skills (Small Guns,

Big Guns, Energy Weapons, Unarmed, and Melee Weapons). This is a one-time bonus. Animals and robots cannot choose this trait. Chem Reliant You are more easily addicted to chems. Your chance to be addicted is twice normal, but you recover in half the time from their ill effects. Robots cannot choose this trait. Chem Resistant Chems only effect you half as long as normal, but your chance to be addicted is only 50% the normal amount. Robots cannot choose this trait. Night Person As a night-time person, you are more awake when the sun goes down. Your Intelligence and Perception are improved at night but are dulled during the day. You get a 1 point penalty to these Statistics from 0601 to 1800, and a 1 point bonus to these Stats from 1801 to 0600. Robots cannot choose this trait. Note that the bonus cannot take IN and PE above the character’s racial maximum or below the character’s racial minimum. Skilled Since you spend more time improving your skills than a normal person, you gain more skill points. The tradeoff is that you do not gain as many extra abilities. You will gain a perk at one level higher than normal. For example, if you normally gained a perk every 4 levels, you would now gain a perk every 5 levels. You will get an additional 5 skill points per new experience level, and a one-time bonus of +10% to your skills when you begin the game. Animals and robots cannot choose this trait. Gifted You have more innate abilities than most, so you have not spent as much time honing your skills. Your statistics are better than the average person, but your skills are lacking. All Stats get a 1point bonus, but all skills get a 10% penalty and you receive 5 less Skill Points per level. Robots cannot choose this trait. Sex Appeal This trait increases your chances of having a good reaction with members of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, this trait tends to annoy members of your

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sex. Jealous twits. When interacting with members of the opposite sex, you gain a 1 point bonus to Charisma for reactions only. When making Speech and Barter rolls, you gain a 40% bonus for each. When interacting with members of the same sex, you have a 1 point penalty to Charisma for reactions only and have a 40% penalty to both Speech and Barter rolls. Only humans can choose this trait. Glowing One Extreme radiation exposure has left you glowing in the dark. Your glow eliminates modifiers from light in combat for both you and your enemies. In addition, you gain a +50% bonus to Radiation Resistance, but everyone around you takes 10 rads per hour (see Radiation under Damage and Death, below). Only Ghouls can choose this trait. Tech Wizard You spent your formative years hunched over a bench learning all about the way things work. The trouble is that you’ve ruined your eyes! You get a +15% bonus to Science, Repair, and Lockpick skills, but you lose 1 Perception. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this trait. Fear the Reaper You have cheated death! You gain perks as if you were a human, but you are now on death’s short list. This means that once a month, you must roll against Luck or else drop dead. Only Ghouls can choose this trait. Vat Skin Other people find you hideous to behold and disgusting to smell after your “dip” in the FEV vats. The good news is that you gain a +10 bonus to your Armor Class thanks to your extra-tough skin. The bad news is that everyone within ten hexes of your location, friend and foe, suffers a 1-point penalty to Perception (you are unaffected). Only Mutants can choose this trait. Ham Fisted Genetic engineering – or dumb luck – has endowed you with huge hands. You get a “free” tag skill in Unarmed, but you suffer a -20% penalty to Small Guns, First Aid, Doctor, Repair, Science, and Lockpick Skills (these numbers cannot go below 0%). Only Mutants can choose this trait.

Domesticated You have undergone extensive house training and have developed an aboveaverage Intelligence. Your IN is raised by 1, and can even go above your racial maximum, but you get a –2 penalty to Melee Damage. Only Deathclaws and Dogs can choose this trait. Rabid You are a half-crazed, feral killing machine. You are not affected by crippled limbs (blindness still affects you normally), and every time you kill an opponent in combat, you get 5 more APs that round. Chems, including stimpaks, have no effect on you. Only Deathclaws and Dogs can choose this trait. Tight Nuts This robot was built to take the knocks. You get double the base Damage Resistance to any attack, but you gain only half the Hit Points back from repairs. Only Robots can choose this trait. Targeting Computer You have been programmed with an onboard targeting computer. All attacks cost 1 extra AP to perform, but you can always add +15% to your chance to-hit. Only Robots can choose this trait. EMP Shielding You have a dedicated EMP shielding system. It takes you 2 AP to move 1 hex because of your heavy equipment, but you have a 30% Resistance to all forms of EMP attack. Only Robots can choose this trait. Beta Software You have been equipped with an experimental operating system and peripherals. You get 1 extra Tag Skill, but whenever using ANY tag skill, you must roll against Luck or suffer an automatic failure and, in combat, a loss of all APs for that round. Only Robots can choose this trait. When you have picked your traits, be sure and note their effects on your statistics and skills on a sheet of scratch paper, as well as their other effects on your character sheet.

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Character Creation Part Four – Statistics
“The measure of man is the measure of all things.” - Pythagoras Primary Statistics fter making a character concept, choosing a race, and picking a trait or two, the player must decide on a character's Primary Statistics. Primary Statistics influence the Secondary Statistics (see below), and are sometimes rolled against to determine different effects (Perception to notice a thief filching your wallet, etc). All characters start life "average" -- that is, they have 5 in every Primary Statistic. The player then has 5 "character points" to distribute as he or she sees fit among the Statistics. In addition, Statistics may be subtracted from if the player wants to add to another Statistic. This can be done so long as points are not "lost" (i.e., if a point is subtracted it must be added somewhere else). Statistics can never go below racial minimums and can never go above racial maximums. Sometimes, this means that a Stat must be adjusted up or down, and the numbers must be re-distributed to other Stats. If you chose a trait that effects a Statistic, keep this in mind as you are distributing your points; traits cannot (usually) raise Stats above racial maximums or lower Stats below racial minimums, either, so there is no use in wasting a points! Remember to adjust Statistics for Traits after assigning your points. Examples: Choosing a Race, Traits, and Primary Statistics Jack wants to make a hand-to-hand fighting character. He thinks playing a fighting mutant would be fun, and his character concept is something along the lines of one of those lovable mugs like Rocky Balboa. Jack decides the Heavy Handed trait will work well for him. Statistically, Jack begins with: STR 5 PE 5 EN 5 CH 5 IN 5 AG 5 LK 5

Since these statistics fit within the racial parameters for a Mutant, Jack is OK so far. Jack decides a fighter needs to be more agile and strong, so he allocates 2 points to STR and 3 points to AG: STR 7 PE 5 EN 5 CH 5 IN 5 AG 8 LK 5

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Jack decides his character doesn't need to be all that attractive, but could stand to be a little more lucky. He takes a point from CH and adds it to LK: STR 7 PE 5 EN 5 CH 4 IN 5 AG 8 LK 6. None of these statistics are too high or two low for the Mutant racial parameters. Jack's character is well on his way to becoming a post-nuclear pugilist. Jane wants to make a character that can fast-talk her way out of any situation. She thinks a human would work best for that kind of job in the wastes, so she will be working with normal racial maximums and minimums. She also thinks the Sex Appeal trait will be beneficial, so she makes a note of that trait on her character sheet. She begins by allocating 2 points to CH to make her character more likable, 2 points to IN to give her character a better grasp of the world, and 1 point to PE so her character is more aware: STR 5 PE 6 EN 5 CH 7 IN 7 AG 5 LK 5. Jane decides a character that relies on her wit doesn't need to be strong, so she takes one point away from STR and one from EN. She then allocates these to luck. STR 4 PE 6 EN 4 CH 7 IN 7 AG 5 LK 7. She now has a post-nuclear version of a lawyer. Primary Statistics: Descriptions A complete description of Primary Statistics, with their use, is provided below. STRENGTH (STR) A measure of your character's physical strength and muscle power. Characters with a high Strength probably spent a lot of time in the gym in high school.

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Characters with low Strength probably got beat up by the characters with high Strength. This statistic is used in the secondary statistics Carry Weight, Melee Damage, and Hit Points. All weapons have a minimum Strength requirement as well. Rolls against Strength are used when characters try to break doors down, bend the bars on their prison cell, and do other feats that require sheer muscle power. PERCEPTION (PE) Perception is your character's awareness and "street-smarts," sometimes called instinct or a "sixth sense." Perceptive characters notice details instantly, like smells, sounds, and sights that don't fit a "normal" picture. Perceptive characters tend to be able to read another person's reactions, and can even tell when another person is lying. Highly perceptive characters are private investigators. Characters with low Perception walk about in their own little world. This statistic is used in the Sequence secondary statistic, and in several skills such as Lockpick, Traps, First Aid, and Doctor. The primary use of this statistic is to determine the maximum distance your character can shoot a ranged weapon effectively. The better the score, the farther you can accurately shoot. A high Perception is imperative for a sniper. Rolls against Perception are used when there is a little detail the character has a chance of noticing, such as the glisten off the scope of the sniper taking an aim at his or her head. ENDURANCE (EN) Endurance measures the body’s constitution and overall health. Characters with a high Endurance have great immune systems, good cardiovascular fitness, and can outrun and outswim others. Characters with high Endurance can swim across the English Channel. Characters with low Endurance can drown in the kiddie pool. The Hit Point, Poison Resistance, Radiation Resistance, and Healing Rate secondary statistics are based on Endurance, which also modifies a character's Outdoorsman skill. Endurance is used to determine if burst hits knock characters down, or even unconscious (see Knockdowns in Combat Part II: Damage, below). Rolls against Endurance determine things like whether your character can hang on to that rope

over a canyon, or can resist the deadly cloud of bacteria that renegade scientist just sprayed in his or her face. CHARISMA (CH) Charisma is how physically attractive your character is, and how adept they are at knowing exactly what to say and do in social situations. Beauty as well as grace and leadership ability contribute to Charisma. A Charismatic character will be the leader of the pack, and everyone will follow his or her orders. John F. Kennedy was charismatic; Dan Quayle was not. No secondary statistics are based on Charisma. It heavily influences Barter and Speech skills. Rolls against Charisma are made when a character is attempting to schmooze past some guards or trying to pick someone up in a bar. INTELLIGENCE (IN) Intelligence is a character's higher reasoning power. Characters with high intelligence have better memories and are better at solving problems than people with low intelligence. Albert Einstein, Napoleon, and Alexander the Great had high intelligence. General Custer, Forrest Gump, and the guy in "Sling Blade" did not. No secondary statistics are based on intelligence. Many of the non-combat skills use it for their base values, however. Intelligence also determines the number of skill points your character gains each level (see Advancement under Part III). Rolls against intelligence are made when characters are attempting to guess a password or determine the sequence of electric charges running through the pattern on the floor. AGILITY (AG) Agility measures the speed of a character's reactions. More or less, Agility describes how quickly an impulse is received by the brain, is encoded into the appropriate message, travels through the Central Nervous System, and reaches the character's arm, which appropriately jerks out of the way right before a bullet hits it. Characters with high Agility are jugglers and acrobats. Characters with low Agility

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dance with two left feet. This statistic is the basis for the Armor Class and Action Point secondary statistics. It modifies the greatest number of skills as well, especially combat skills. Rolls against Agility are made when your character dodges a poison dart trap or attempts to jerk his arm out of the sewer before a mutated rat bites it off. LUCK (LK) Perhaps the most ambiguous statistic, Luck is everything and nothing. Characters with a high amount of Luck just tend to have things go their way, and characters with a low amount of Luck always seem to be standing under the scaffolding just when someone drops that brick. Luck directly affects the Critical Chance secondary statistic as well as influences the Gambling skill. Rolls against Luck are made at the GM's discretion; Luck rolls can determine if, when your character is out of ammo and lying half-unconscious on the ground, he happens to find that loaded shotgun lying concealed and forgotten in the dust. Secondary Statistics

that hit points can above the maximum.

never

be

healed

Note If hit points drop to zero, your character does not die instantly. A character whose hit points are between 0 and -5 is knocked unconscious; they slump to the ground and cannot move. That character begins to recover hit points as if they were resting (see Healing Rate, below). That means that an unconscious character will eventually wake up, although it may take several hours or even days. Until then, they must be carried or protected until recovery. For more information, see Damage and Death in Part III below. ARMOR CLASS (AC) Maybe the second most important statistic in the game, Armor Class reduces the amount of damage your character takes from things that seek to harm her. Armor Class is measured as a percentage. Your character's base Armor Class is equal to her Agility. In addition, any armor she is wearing can make her Armor Class even higher. For instance, if your character's Agility is 6 and she dons a leather jacket with an armor class of 5, her AC is now 11(%). Armor class affects the chance to hit; in the above example, if the mutant sniper was trying to take a potshot at the girl in the spiffy leather coat, his chance to hit would be reduced by 11%. ACTION POINTS (AP) This is perhaps the third most important statistic in the game, as it may mean the difference between reloading your gun and firing that final shot, or staring at your empty sidearm as a rocket explodes in your chest. APs are the number of actions your character can take each turn in combat. Moving one hex (one meter) costs 1 AP. Reloading a weapon often takes 2 APs. Making a shot often takes 5 AP. See the chart below for determining APs, based upon Agility: Agility 1 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10+ #APs 5 6 7 8 9 10

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fter the Primary Statistics are determined, the player needs to determine the Secondary Statistics. Remember that racial and trait bonuses and penalties need to be applied to Secondary Statistics. Formulae for determining initial levels of Secondary Statistics are given with the description of each stat. Secondary Statistics are in different places on the character sheet, usually grouped together – protective stats are all in one place, and attacking stats are in another. HIT POINTS (HP) Perhaps the most important statistic in the game, as hit points determine whether your character is alive and breathing or dead. Dead characters cannot be played or revived, ever. Hit points can be recovered with time, drugs, the correct skills, or an able doctor. The base number of hit points is 15 + (STR + (2 X EN)). In addition, a character gains more maximum hit points for every level equal to 3 + 1/2 EN, rounded down (see Advancement in Part III). It should go without saying

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CARRY WEIGHT How much equipment your character can carry on his back, in his pockets, or in his backpack and fanny pack. Every item in the game weighs something. Carry Weight is 25 lbs + 25 X STR. A character with 6 STR can carry 175 lbs of equipment. Now, finding room for that much stuff may be a problem... MELEE DAMAGE (MD) This is how much damage your character does in unarmed combat and combat with melee weapons. The more melee damage your character does, the harder she or he hits. Strong characters can hit very hard. See the chart below for determining MD, based upon Strength: Strength Melee Damage 1-6 1 7 2 8 3 9 4 10 5 11 6 12 7 and so on… POISON RESISTANCE Even in the post-nuclear world, there are certain chemicals that just don't mix well with human anatomy. Poison resistance is equal to 5 X EN. A character with an endurance of 6 will have a 30% Poison Resistance. That means they have a 30% chance of antibodies eliminating the poison. See Poison Damage in Combat: Damage and Death in Part III. RADIATION RESISTANCE In the post-nuclear world, radiation is always a concern. Some places are naturally radioactive, like the blast centers where nukes went off. Some are more radioactive than others; near the center of the blast, you are guaranteed to find more rads than 5 miles away. Radiation Resistance is equal to 2 X EN. It can be increased with chems (see Equipment: Chems) and with certain kinds of armor (see Equipment: Armor). A character with an 8 EN has 16% radiation resistance. This means that 16% of the rads that hit his skin do not go in. If he was standing at the rim of a blast crater and was taking 1000 rads every ten minutes (!), only 840 of those rads would enter his body. That still means he's going to glow like a lightbulb, but his skin won't fall off - right away.

GAS RESISTANCE One of the nastier weapons in the wastes, gas attacks can cause massive amounts of damage to a large number of people, or cover a large area in a relatively small amount of time. Some gasses do not damage a target, but are merely designed to incapacitate it. Gas Resistance is based entirely on armor, race, and equipment. There are two kinds of gas attacks: Inhaled and Contact gasses. Inhaled gasses must enter the lungs before causing ill effects; Contact gasses are more like clouds of acid vapor, damaging any biological substance they come into contact with. Gas resistance is given in a X/X number, with the first variable representing Inhaled gasses and the second variable representing Contact gasses. Unless the character is a robot, the beginning Gas Resistance is always 0/0. ELECTRICITY RESISTANCE This measures how resistant a character is to electricity. Whenever the character takes damage from electricity, the amount of damage is reduced by their electricity resistance (a percentage). Unless a character’s race has built-in electrical damage, this number always starts at 0. DAMAGE RESISTANCE Damage Resistance is determined entirely by armor. Unless the character has some built in damage resistance because of her race, this is 0%. Note that there are five different areas under the "Armor" heading on the Character Sheet for four different kinds of Damage Resistance. Each piece of armor has its own Damage Resistance percentage that the character should add to their own in the four different areas under the Armor section. See Before Combat: Wearing Armor in Part III, below. DAMAGE THRESHOLD Damage Threshold represents the actual amount of damage that a piece of armor can stop. Note that on the character sheet, there is no Damage Threshold under Secondary Statistics; rather, it is under Armor. A character does not have any actual Damage Threshold until he or she is wearing armor of some kind. See Before Combat: Wearing Armor in Part III, below.

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SEQUENCE Sequence determines who goes first in a combat round. Of course, if you are the one initiating the combat, you automatically get to go first (you sneak up on a guard and clobber him in the head), but all the combat turns after that get broken down by Sequence, with highest Sequence going first, and so on down the line (see Combat: Sequence in Part III). Sequence is equal to 2 X PE. HEALING RATE Life possesses the remarkable ability to heal itself naturally. Your character's Healing Rate is the number of hit points they heal naturally in a day (24 hours) of activity, or in six hours of resting. Use this table to determine healing rate, based upon Endurance. Endurance 1-5 6-8 9-10 11+ Healing Rate 1 2 3 4

is 8, and because he is a mutant, it probably won't get a whole lot better. Maverick's AC is only 5, but he can find some armor and protect himself a little better. Harry gets 9 Action Points and Maverick gets 7. Harry's Carry Weight is 200 lbs, where Maverick's is only 125. Harry's Melee Damage is a whopping 4 points because of his Heavy-Handed trait, and Maverick's is only 1. Harry enjoys a 45% Poison Resist and Maverick gets 20%; Harry's Radiation Resist is 60% because of his race and Maverick's is 8%. Neither character has any Gas Resistance, but Maverick has an innate 30% Electricity Resistance (Harry’s is 0). Harry has 10 Sequence, but Maverick is faster at 12. Harry's Healing Rate is 1 HP, and Maverick's is 1 as well. Harry gets a 6% chance to deal a critical hit (LK 6), but Maverick gets a 7% (LK 7).

Character Creation Part Five - Skills
Tag Skills

A character with 7 EN would have a healing rate of 2 and heal 2 hit points in a 24-hour period where they were active (fighting, walking around, etc) and will heal 8 hit points in any 24 hour period where they are resting (sleeping, watching TV, etc.) See Healing under Combat: Damage and Death in Part III, below. Note that Robots do not naturally heal themselves, and therefore automatically have a Healing Rate of “0”. CRITICAL CHANCE This is the base chance to cause a critical hit in combat. High weapons skills and weapons of high quality can modify this number later. If a to-hit roll is successful and low enough that it fell within the character’s Critical Chance, the hit becomes critical (see Combat: Chance for Criticals in Part III). A base Critical Chance is equal to a character's Luck. A character with 3 Luck has a 3% base chance to critical hit. Examples: Statistics Modifiers Calculating and Adding Race Secondary and Trait

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very character gets three tag skills to start out with. These skills could best be described as the character's "gifted" areas. Every character must take three tag skills, and only three, no more, no less (unless the character gets an extra tag skill because of a trait). Each tag skill gets an immediate 20% bonus, and a tag skill grows twice as fast as a normal skill. When you spend skill points on a tag skill, it grows by 2% instead of 1%. Skill List his is a complete description of skills, and how one finds the base skill percentage. Base percentage is figured before ANY other skill adjustments are made - from tag skill adjustments, to traits, to addition of skill points. Skill points are added only after a character goes up a level (see Advancement in Part III). For the sake of our examples, an "average" character has a 5 for each Statistic. Small Guns This skill covers the use of bows, pistols, sub-machine guns, rifles, and shotguns. The higher your Small Guns skill, the easier it will be for you to hit your target, and the longer the

effective range you will have in combat. Initial level: Starting Small Guns skill is equal to 5% + (4 X AG). Average starting characters will have a 25% Small Guns skill. Big Guns This is the skill of flamethrowers, miniguns, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, and other large support weapons. If it's a large weapon, you can count on Big Guns being the skill rolled against. Like Small Guns, the better your skill, the easier it will be to hit your target, and the longer the range of your shot. Initial level: Starting Big Guns skill is equal to 0% + (2 X AG). Average starting characters have a 10% Big Guns skill. Energy Weapons The use of energy weapons is not a very common skill in the post-nuclear world. Energy weapons were just coming into actual warfare when the world blew up. Lasers and plasma weapons are covered by the Energy Weapons skill. Basically, if it uses an energy cell or power pack, and not cartridge ammunition, it falls under this skill. Initial level: Starting Energy Weapons skill is equal to 0% + (2 X AG). Average starting characters will have a 10% Energy Weapons skill. Unarmed This is the skill of beating people up with your fists and feet. The better you are at this skill, the more likely you are going to hit them in combat. This skill also covers the use of weapons that enhance unarmed combat such as brass knuckles, spiked knuckles, and the legendary Power Fist. At higher skill levels, you will learn new techniques of fighting. Everyone starts with a good Unarmed skill, since the basic concept is pretty simple. Initial level: Starting Unarmed skill is equal to 30% + (2 X (AG + STR)). Average starting characters will have a 50% in Unarmed Combat.

Special Unarmed Attacks These attacks only become available to the true student of the unarmed arts. The requirement for each attack is listed, along with a description of the attack and the damage incurred. Primary Punch Attacks Strong Punch Effects: +3 damage AP Cost: 3 Requires: Unarmed 55%, Agility 6

First Aid The skill of minor healing. You will be able to heal minor wounds, cuts, and bruises with this skill. You can only use it three times a day, and it takes a little while to work. You can use it on yourself, or anyone you are feeling particularly nice to at the time. Initial Level: Starting First Aid skill is equal to 0% + (2 X (PE + EN)). Average characters will have a 20% skill. Each use of this skill takes 1d10 minutes and heals 1d10 Hit Points. You can only use this skill 3 times a day. For more information, see Healing in Combat: Damage and Death, below. Doctor A more advanced form of healing. You can heal serious damage and crippled limbs but not poison or radiation damage. Using this skill takes a while to perform. Every crippled limb will add to the time required to use the Doctor skill. You can play Doctor with yourself (except if you are Blind), or any other person / critter you choose to be kind to. In addition, a character can deal 2d10 hit points in 1 hour by successfully using the Doctor skill. You can only use the Doctor skill twice a day. Initial Level: Starting Doctor skill is equal to 5% + (PE + IN). Average characters will have a 15% skill. Sneak The skill of being able to move quietly or out of sight. When you are sneaking, other people will be less likely to notice you - at a distance. If you get too close to a dangerous creature, now matter how good you are at sneaking, they will notice you. Of course, whether someone notices you is based on what direction they are facing, the amount of light in the area, the amount of cover you have, and a hell of a lot of luck. Such is the life of a thief. Successfully sneaking up on a person means you get a bonus should you want to try to steal from them. Your sneak skill is rolled when you start sneaking, and once a minute while still sneaking. Initial Level: Starting Sneak skill is equal to 5% + (3 X AG). Average characters will have a 20% Sneak. Lockpick If you need to open locks without the proper key, this is the skill for you. Use it to get what you want, but other

60%,

Agility

7,

Hook Kick Effects: +9 Damage, +10% critical chance, armor piercing AP Cost: 7 Requires: Unarmed 100%, Agility 7, Strength 6, Level 12 Piercing Kick Effects: +12 Damage, +50% Critical chance, armor piercing AP Cost: 9 Requires: Unarmed 125%, Agility 8, Strength 6, Level 15 Melee Weapons This covers the use of most melee weapons. Knives, spears, hammers, and crowbars are all melee weapons. Since using simple tools to beat things is something fairly innate to human nature, this is usually a pretty high skill. Initial Level: 20% + (2 X (AG + STR)). Average characters will have a 40% skill. Throwing Whenever a weapon is thrown, this skill gets used. Throwing knives, small rocks, and grenades are throwing weapons. If you miss, the object still has to end up somewhere. It is possible to throw a weapon and have it end up right at your feet. If it's a knife, no big deal. If it's a grenade, that's a really big deal. The maximum distance you can throw a weapon is based on your character's Strength, and the type of weapon thrown. Initial Level: 0% + (4 X AG). Average characters will have a 20% skill.

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people don't want you to have. Having an actual lockpick will improve your chances, but it is not necessary. There are two types of locks in the Fallout world: normal and electronic. Lockpicks work against normal locks, but to even attempt an electronic lock, you need an electronic lockpick. Certain locks can be harder to pick than others, and certain locks require that the picker has a lockpick. Initial Level: Starting Lockpick skill is equal to 10% + (PE + AG). Average characters will have a 20% skill. Steal This is the art of removing things from a person or an object without being noticed. Even if you succeed, there is a chance that the critter might notice you. Larger objects are more difficult to steal than smaller objects. The more objects you try to steal, the more likely you are to get noticed. You cannot steal objects a person is using (guns they are holding in their hands, armor they are wearing on their body, etc). If you try to steal from a person, it might be a good idea to stand behind them so they can't see you as well. Initial Level: 0% + (3 X AG). The average character will have a 15% Steal skill. Traps Not only does the Traps skill involve setting and disarming devices that cause harm to others, but it also covers setting, timing, and handling explosives. The higher your Traps skill, the less likely it is a bomb will blow up in your face, a huge rock will crush your party, and the more likely it is that the timer you just set will go off when you want it to. Initial Level: Starting Traps skill is equal to 10% + (PE + AG). Average characters will start with a 20% Traps skill. Science Science is the skill of working with electronic devices such as computers. It also covers how intuitive a character is. Characters with a high Science skill will notice things that others might miss, and characters who actively apply their Science skill to tasks can intuit answers to problems. Science skills are used when rolling to use (or break into) computers, determine what part a vehicle might need to run properly again, or to notice a vein of

silver in an otherwise unremarkable rock. Science skill can also be used like First Aid to repair robots. Initial Level: Starting Science skill is equal to 0% + (4 X IN). Average characters will start with a 20% Science skill. Repair Repair is the practical application of the Science skill. As things are constantly breaking in the wastes, and there aren't customer service hotlines anymore, a person with a high Repair skill is always good to have around. Repair covers fixing all manner of mechanical things, from guns to vehicles, and can also be used to intentionally sabotage or disable mechanical things. The Repair skill can also be used like Doctor to repair robots. Initial Level: Starting Repair skill is equal to 0% + (3 X IN). Average characters will start with a 15% Repair skill. Pilot The skill of operating various kinds of motor vehicles, from cars to tanks to jeeps to vertibirds, airplanes, and helicopters. Characters with high pilot skills can take vehicles places that other characters couldn't, and just might avoid rolling that Highwayman when they hit that pothole. Initial Level: Starting Pilot skill is equal to 0% + 2X (AG + PE). Average characters will start with a 20% skill. Speech This is the skill of dialogue. The better your Speech skill, the more likely you will be able to get your way when talking to people. When there is a chance that an NPC might take your word, believe your lie, or just follow your instructions, this is the skill that is used. Initial Level: Starting Speech skill is equal to 0% + (5 X CH). Average characters will have a 35% skill.

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Barter The skill of trading. In the postnuclear world, currency is not commonly used. Barter will allow you to get more for less when trading equipment, weapons, and other items. A high Barter skill will lower the prices you pay for items you purchase, and increase the money you get for selling excess equipment. A good Barter skill isn't important if you're killing everyone, but it certainly is a valuable skill for the non-berserkers out there. Initial Level: Starting Barter skill is equal to 0% + (4 X CH). Average characters will have a 20% skill. Gambling The Gambling skill covers a knowledge of and adeptness at games of chance. Someone with a high Gambling skill tends to win these games more often, or might notice if the game is dirty or rigged. Initial Level: Starting Gambling skill is equal to 0% + (5 X LK). The average character will start with a 25% Gambling skill. Outdoorsman This is the skill of outdoor living and survival in hostile environments. Basically, what they teach in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, modified for the postnuclear world. Outdoorsman has many uses, from finding food and water in the middle of a vast wasteland to avoiding hostile creatures to knowledge about what plants and animals will help you or kill you. It's always good to have someone in the party who's an avid outdoorsman. Initial Level: 0% + (2 X (EN + IN)). Average Characters will start with a 20% Outdoorsman skill. Examples: Assigning Calculating Skills Tag Skills and

starting character's karma is always 0 (zero). The Gamemaster will inform characters when their actions have resulted in a change of karma. Sample examples of Karmachanging actions can be found in the Karma section of Life in the Wastes, below. Putting the finishing touches on a character might include thinking of little quirks that would round out that character – for instance, a huge mutant might be deathly afraid of mice. The possibilities are endless, and make for interesting – and fun – roleplaying. Of course, it might be more interesting to develop those quirks as you roleplay. That's all! It's time for the character to enter the wide world!

Part III: The Game
“We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” -T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets

Jack and Jane first of all assign Harry and Maverick three tag skills. Jack decides that Harry will be extra-skilled in Unarmed Combat and Throwing. Jack considers that Harry might get into some long-ranged combat situations, so he gives Harry some Big Guns skills. Jane's diplomat needs Speech and Barter, and she decides that Maverick will be a good Gambler, too, so she tags that skill as well. When the skills were all calculated, this is how the characters measured up to each other.

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nce the characters are made, it is up to the GM to provide the adventure. There is a sample adventure at the end of this book, and there will probably be many more if people decide to write them. Adventures and campaigns (extended adventures that take many evenings to play) are limited only by the bounds of imagination. This

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section covers some of the more important aspects of the game such as combat, damage, and advancement.

Before Combat: Weapons and Armor
Holding Weapons or Objects

Equipping

The character sheet has sections labeled "left hand" and "right hand." That is where a character can fill in the necessary information regarding their weapon(s). No more than two weapons can be equipped at the same time, one per hand. Some weapons require the use of both hands. Note that you can still hold two weapons and use a two-handed weapon in combat - that's what the straps are for. Characters usually start with only the basic weapons, although it is up to the Gamemaster. Objects to be used must be held in the hands as well. This means that a character cannot inject a healing chem, shoot a two-handed gun, and dig a hole all at the same time. Remember that a character is not limited to carrying just the two weapons in their hands; they can carry whatever they want in belts, holsters, backpacks, and so forth. Of course, guns are only effective if they have they kind of ammunition required to use them. Note that two kinds of ammunition that would work for the same gun - Armor Piercing and Jacketed Hollow Point (AP and JHP) for example - cannot be used in the same clip. If you find that your JHP bullets are ineffective, you must reload with AP rounds (see Reloading, below). Weapon Condition Below the weapon slots on the character sheet is a bar with boxes in it, labeled "Condition." This indicates the condition that the weapon is in. The more boxes filled, the worse shape the weapon is in. Weapons gain boxes when

attacks are made with them and the attack fails (see Attacks, below). Sometimes, doing something inordinately stupid, like using your rifle as a crowbar or accidentally dropping your gun down a sewer, will cause boxes to become filled as well. When boxes fill up, it represents normal wear and tear; however, when that last box is filled, the weapon is either jammed or broken, and must be repaired or thrown away. Often when characters find or buy weapons, they are not in perfect shape and already have one or more boxes filled. If 8 or more boxes are filled, the user suffers a –10% penalty to their to-hit rolls with the weapon; the damage is beginning to interfere with its effectiveness. The GM may determine other situations where the weapon suffers damage, such as when the character accidentally drops his backpack in a vat of acid. Repairing Weapons When a gun jams or an ax breaks, it is a problem. If it happens in combat and you have no backup, it is a major problem. There is nothing to do but wait until combat is over and attempt to repair the item. Using Repair skill on a gun takes 1 hour. If the roll against Repair skill fails, the character is allowed to make a roll against the skill associated with that weapon - melee for the ax, small arms for the gun - to take one box off (the weapon is not fixed, but it is usable for the time being). Successful use of the repair skill empties two boxes on the condition bar. Repairing weapons is not necessarily limited to the time in which they break; a little preventative maintenance never hurts. Vehicle Condition Vehicles wear and tear just like weapons and armor, but do not have condition boxes indicating how damaged they are. Instead, the vehicle is broken down into five different sections, each with individual hit points. Those hit points can be repaired, but require a lot of time and effort (see Repairing Vehicles, below). When a vehicle loses more than two-thirds of its hit points in a section, that section breaks down. For example, if a truck lost 2/3 of its hit points to the engine, the engine would no longer work, and the vehicle would

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coast to a halt. For more information on various vehicle sections and the effects when those sections are damaged or destroyed, see Vehicle Combat, below. Repairing Vehicles Repairing lost hit points on a vehicle can be a time-consuming process. When attempting to repair a vehicle, the character needs to determine which section of the vehicle he or she will focus on. Then, 8 hours are spent making repairs; at the end of those three hours, a roll against Repair is made. If the roll is successful, 3d10 hit points of damage were repaired to that particular section. For more information on the different vehicle sections, see Vehicle Condition, above, and Vehicle Combat, below. Wearing Armor There is another section on the character sheet for armor. Note the Damage Threshold (DT) and Damage Resistance (DR) for each different type of damage, as well as the base AC (the character's Agility plus any other bonuses or penalties) and the AC (with the armor). Characters usually start with only the most basic kinds of armor. It should be noted that some kinds of armor will add penalties for using certain skills, like Sneak. Those penalties are listed in the armor’s description. Helmets are often parts of other larger suits of armor, or can be worn alone (and taken off apart from a suit of armor). Helmets usually only confer a small bonus to armor class, but will reduce a chance of a targeted shot to the head resulting in a critical hit by 15%. Armor Condition Like weapons and vehicles, armor also loses its effectiveness over time if not repaired. For every five successful hits that cause damage against a character wearing a set of armor, the armor loses a condition box (the box is filled in). Armor eventually begins to lose its ability to protect and distribute damage as it wears thin and acquires more holes; these penalties are applied specifically to the Damage Threshold and Damage Resistance (DT and

After the Modifier is determined, plug the original values and the mod into the following equations: DR - (DR X Mod) = Adjusted DR DT - (DT X Mod) = Adjusted DT Repairing Armor Repairing condition boxes on armor works in much the same way repairing condition boxes on weapons and vehicles does. The task takes 4 hours, and if a successful Repair skill roll is made, two condition boxes are emptied.

Mortal Combat

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ike it or not, in the Fallout universe, sometimes all the sneaking and dialogue break down. In these cases, conflicts are resolved by combat: who has the stronger fists, the bigger gun, and who can use them better. Combat is a series of 10-second Rounds where every participant gets a Turn (an opportunity to act) that resolves when all parties hostile to each other are either incapacitated, dead, or have run away.

Combat Begins

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ombat officially begins when one critter or Character decides that enough is enough and s/he/it attacks someone or something else (sometimes, attacks can be made on inanimate objects such as doors, and in

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this case the entire combat procedure is not necessary, unless combat is going on around the character attempting to break the door down). The critter or character that initiated combat gets the opportunity to use all of their Action Points (AP) before Sequence is determined.

Combat Step One: Determine Combat Sequence

Terrain can have an effect on movement. This table can serve as a guide. The modifier is a number by which the character multiplies his normal movement rate; 2X would require that the character spend 2 times the normal AP amount to move. Characters who are prone or have broken limbs can take a long time to crawl over certain kinds of terrain. For more information on Swimming, see Swimming in Life in the Wastes, below. Effects of Terrain on Movement Rate Terrain Type Modifier Open, Flat Ground 1X Rough, Wet Ground 2X Torn, Muddy Ground; 3X Water (Swimming) Using An Item If your Character is holding an item in her hand, she can use it in combat, provided it is an item that's use takes under 10 seconds (GM' discretion). Healing chems, Geiger counters, and a police whistle are all examples of items a player can use in combat. Note that an item MUST be in hand to use it; see Before Combat, above. Using an item takes 3 AP. Equipping Items If you run out of ammo for a gun and need to draw another, or if you want to grab that stimpak out of your pocket, you are Equipping an Item. Equipping Items takes 4 AP for each item equipped. Therefore, if you trade your hunting rifle in for a SMG and want to grab that healing chem in the same round, it will take 8 AP total. You can equip any item that is on your person (your pockets, backpack, and fanny pack count as "on your person"). Taking Items You can take an item on the ground, in a container, or off the bodies of your enemies. As with Equipping Items, this costs 4 AP per item, and your character must be standing in the same hex as the item (or on an adjacent hex if the item is in an immobile container). If you want to grab that Bozar and the ammo for it, it will take 8 AP.

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ecause the Sequence statistic does not change, this step needs to be preformed only once in combat, at the beginning. Who (or what)ever has the highest sequence gets to move first, with the next highest sequence moving second, and so on until the round is over. Ties in sequence should be determined by the tie-ers rolling 1d10 against each other; the highest roll goes first. This roll only needs to be done at the beginning of each combat, not each round. Once sequence is determined, a character has several choices about what to do with their Turn.

Combat Step Two: Action

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ny action in combat requires the use of Action Points. The higher a character's agility, the more action points they get (see Character Creation: Secondary Statistics). A character's Turn is over when all AP are used, or they declare that they are going to defend, and they forfeit the rest of their AP (although not entirely, see Defending, below). The possibilities for action are: Movement This includes moving closer to a target, moving behind a tree or other cover, or bravely running away. It costs 1 movement point to move 1 hex. A hex is 1 meter across (this becomes much more important later, when determining range). Characters cannot occupy the same hex as another living character or critter, or large inanimate objects. Any object larger than a medium-sized shrub gets a hex all to itself. Dead bodies (no matter how massive!) do not get their own personal space; they are dead, it won't matter if you walk all over them.

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Reloading Guns use up ammunition. When your gun is empty, partially empty, or jammed, you can reload it by spending two Action Points. If you have enough ammo, this will completely fill the clip. If not, you can place as many bullets as you have in the clip. It's generally a good idea to head into combat with fully loaded guns, so you aren't prancing around trying to get those rounds in while the baddies are shooting. Note that a gun can only be loaded with the kind of ammunition it is supposed to use, and that two different ammunition types - AP and JHP - cannot be combined in one clip. Note that mortars, artillery pieces, and vehicle weapons other than machine guns take one full round to reload, using all of a character’s Action Points for that turn. Using Skills Sometimes, it becomes necessary to use certain skills in combat. Although the battlefield isn’t always the best place to try to pick locks or repair a broken computer, there are times when using your talents are necessary, especially if it means you can escape those crazed cyborg commandos. Some skills, like Doctor, just take too long to use in combat. The GM should determine if the task that the character wants to perform can be done in combat (cracking a safe, for example, would be just a little too time consuming). Then the GM should calculate how many APs, and how many rounds (if necessary), the action will take. Characters using skills gain no Armor Class bonuses from Agility or unused AP, so their armor class is limited to what they are wearing when they are using their skills. Healing a Fallen Comrade A character can use his or her First Aid or Doctor skill in combat to heal a fallen comrade (or foe, if they are so inclined), but only if the target has been knocked unconscious (see Combat: Damage and Death, below). This action requires that the character be in an adjacent hex to the target, and takes 10 AP. If the action cannot be performed

in one round, they can give up all of their Armor Class benefits except for the armor they are wearing and complete it in the next round. When the action is complete, the healer makes a roll against First Aid or Doctor, depending on the skill they are attempting to use. If the roll succeeds, then they have healed the target to 1 HP – enough for the target to regain consciousness. The target does not get any AP until the round after he/she/it was healed. Using the First Aid and Doctor skills in this way counts towards the character’s total uses of that skill for the day (remember that First Aid can only be used 3 times in a 24-hour period, and Doctor can only be used twice). If the fallen comrade is a robot, a player can use either the Repair or Science skills to achieve the same results. Getting Up If you have been knocked down the previous combat round, or for some reason are starting combat on the ground, it takes 4 AP to clamber to your feet. Characters who are on the ground receive no Armor Class bonus either from unused AP or their Agility, making their AC without armor equal to zero. Note that Getting Up is not the same as Changing Positions, below. Laying Mines Devious parties can use mines to their advantage, having one or more members circle behind the enemy while the rest of the party engages them in combat. The minelayers then set up their cowardly weapons and clear out while the others drive the enemy into the explosives. It takes 6 AP and a successful roll against Traps to lay a mine in Combat. For more information on minelaying, see Mines in Life in the Wastes, below. Setting Up Tripods and Artillery Some weapons gain bonuses if they are used with a tripod; some weapons can only be used with a tripod (and some come with a tripod built in). In order to use these weapons in combat, the character must spend time setting them

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up. When setting a weapon on a tripod, roll against the Big Guns skill. If the roll succeeds, the character set up the weapon on the tripod and can use it normally next round. If not, the character did not get the tripod set up. In order to set up the tripod, they must keep rolling until they succeed, or give up. Even if the roll fails, attempting to set up a tripod takes ALL action points for that round. Artillery pieces work the same way, except that they are much larger than small mortars. Changing Positions – Crouching & Prone Crouching and Going Prone are great ways to improve your accuracy in combat, and to help you hide behind available cover, making less of your body visible and available to an attacking enemy. They are also great ways to make yourself a sitting duck, allowing people to hit you easier. Changing positions takes 2 AP, unless the character is going FROM Prone to Standing – that takes 4 AP, just like Getting Up (above). Note, however, that going from standing to crouching, standing to prone, crouching to prone, prone to crouching, or crouching to standing takes only 2 AP, and is NOT the same as getting up. When Crouching, the character gains +10% to Small Guns, Big Guns, and Energy Weapons skills for purposes of To Hit; it takes the character 2 AP to move 1 hex; and the character’s Armor Class from Agility (Base AC) is reduced to 3 (characters whose Agility are below 3 are not effected.) Prone characters gain +25% to Small Guns, Big Guns, and Energy Weapons skills for purposes of To Hit; it takes the character 4 AP to crawl one hex; and the character’s Armor Class from Agility (Base AC) is reduced to 1. Prone characters cannot make unarmed or melee attacks. Note: Crouching and Going Prone have no effect on To-Hit rolls for mounted Big Guns. These include Howitzers, large artillery pieces, and guns attached to vehicles, like tank-mounted cannons and machineguns on Jeeps. The GM can ultimately use common sense to determine if it makes sense to give a crouching or prone bonus for a specific weapon.

Defending Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor. If a character has some (or all) AP left and doesn’t want to do anything else, they can defend. The leftover AP are then added to that character’s Armor Class.

Attacking

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he backbone of any combat is attack; doing to others before they do unto you. Attacks take varying amounts of AP depending on what kind of attack it is. Unarmed and melee attacks must be made on a target in an adjacent hex (in some rare cases, a melee attack with a 2-hex range may be made). Ranged attacks, such as thrown weapons and guns, may be made so long as the target is in range and there is a clear or semi-clear line of sight. You cannot attack someone behind a wall or other complete cover. The GM (and common sense) ultimately determine what "complete cover" is. Attacks may only be announced if the character has enough AP to cover the action. Those AP are deducted immediately. There are three kinds of attacks, besides the normal HtH and Ranged: a Normal (Single) Attack, a Targeted Attack, and a Burst Attack. Some weapons, like Assault Rifles, SMGs, and others can do all three. Single-shot and melee weapons can only make a normal Single attack or a Targeted Attack. Some weapons such as Rocket Launchers and Flamethrowers cannot make Targeted attacks (they are just too bulky and unpredictable to snipe with). Some weapons, such as miniguns, can only fire in Burst mode. The options for attack will be listed on the weapon's description. Burst Mode In the Fallout game, Burst Mode is interchangeable with the military or police definition of a three-round burst (3 shots) AND fully-automatic fire (holding the trigger down and spraying that deranged nuke pooch for all you’re worth). Burst mode is assumed to be the number of shots a weapon can fire in fully automatic mode in one round of combat; the minimum number of shots in a burst

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is three (a quick squeeze of the trigger), and the maximum number of shots in a burst is given in the weapon descriptions. This number represents the maximum number of shots an automatic weapon can fire per round, depending on its ROF (rate of fire). Some weapons, like miniguns, can burn through a lot more ammo than older assault rifles; thus, they can fire more shots. Note that characters with lots of Action Points might be able to squeeze off just a little bit more (in other words, a second “burst”) than characters lacking that attribute. For information about rolling attacks in Burst Mode, see Burst Mode and Cone of Fire in Determining and Rolling Against To Hit, below.

Range Modifiers The first modifier to hit is Range. The table below lists effective range for perception (substitute Strength on this table for throwing weapons as well): Range Table PE Range in Hexes (Meters) 1 1 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9 6 11 7 13 8 15 9 17 10 19 And so on.. The range based on Perception, on the table above, is added to the range of the weapon. For every hex beyond the combined range between the attacker and the target, deduct 3% from the to-hit roll. Also, when a shotgun, drops by 3 see Double attempting a double-shot with the weapon’s effective range hexes. For more information, Shot Weapons, below.

Attack Step One: Determining and Rolling Against To Hit

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o Hit for attacks is determined based on a number of factors. A formula will be presented at the end to simplify the process. First of all, the target must be open and in range. The attacker must be able to see their target, or at least know fairly specifically where their target it. In addition, each weapon has an individual range, and a character's range is based on his Perception. If a target is beyond the character's range, the penalties begin to add up. See below for range penalties based on perception. Thrown weapons, such as throwing knifes, spears, and grenades, are based on Strength as well as Perception: they can potentially suffer penalties from both stats! Base Chance First, the base chance To Hit is the attacker's skill in the particular weapon he is using - Unarmed for fists, feet, and “unarmed weapons” like brass knuckles; Melee Weapons for things like knives and sledgehammers; Small Guns for pistols, rifles, and SMGs; Big Guns for rocket launchers, flamethrowers, and the like; and Energy Weapons for lasers and other fun toys. Remember to deduct 10% from the base chance if the weapon has 8 or more condition boxes filled.

For night, deduct a further: -10%: Full Moon -20%: Crescent Moon -40%: New Moon Armor Class Modifier The third modifier is for the target's Armor Class. Since Armor Class is a percentage, deduct that as well. Cover Modifiers The fourth modifier is cover. Generally, this deduction is based on how much of the person's/critter's body is concealed by the cover. For instance, if there is a crate between Harry and the scav he is trying to take out, and that crate conceals the scav's legs up to the knees, about 15% of the scav's body is concealed, so the attack will suffer a -15% penalty. Notice that cover does not come into play in unarmed and melee attacks, because there can be nothing between the attacker and the target to make these attacks in the first place! Weapons Status Modifier The fifth modifier is open for any bonuses or penalties the character might receive for having a good weapon, or a modified weapon. If a character's spear is extra-sharp, or if they have a laser sight or scope, add those bonuses now. If the character's STR is below the minimum required to fire that weapon, deduct that now. Targeted Shots The sixth modifier is only for targeted shots. Shots may be targeted in 8 different areas: The Head or a like area, the eyes or a like area, The Torso (main body), The Groin or like area, the arms, and the legs. A robot that doesn't have legs may be targeted in the hover apparatus, and a scorpion with no visible groin could be targeted in the tail. Targeted shots have an increased chance of dealing a critical hit to the area targeted, either crippling in the case of limbs, causing blindness in the case of an eye, or causing extra damage. See Attack Step Three: Roll for Criticals below.

Targeted Shot Penalties (Melee Attacks) 0%: Torso -10%: Legs -15%: Arms, Groin -20%: Head -30%: The Eyes Targeted Shot Penalties (Ranged Attacks) 0% Torso -20% Legs -30% Arms, Groin -40% Head -60% Eyes The Formula Once all the modifiers are determined, follow the formula: Base minus Range minus Light minus Armor minus Cover minus or plus Extra bonus' (or minus penalties) minus Targeted Shot (if applicable). Canceling the Shot and Rolling At this time, if the chance to hit is less than 0%, the attacker has the option of canceling the shot. The shot is just beyond the attacker's skill; there is no way to make it, ever. Period. Should the player decide to cancel the shot, his or her character does not get the AP back they spent lining up the attack, but neither do they lose ammo from firing random shots in the dark. If the attacker doesn't cancel the shot, now is the time to roll the dice. A Note On Rolling: Burst Mode and Cone of Fire Guns fired in burst mode roll a to hit for each individual bullet. Bullets that do not strike the initial target have a possibility of hitting any other targets in the cone of fire. The cone of fire extends one hex immediately in the direction the gun is being fired, and continues with the addition of one hex on either side. For example, if Harry is "H" and he fires a minigun, his cone of fire looks like this: * * * * * * * * H * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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Note about aiming at targets in a cone of fire: the character can ONLY fire in Burst Mode at the nearest object in any specific cone of fire. That means that Harry cannot try to shoot a bandit 6 hexes away while Horath the Doctor is standing in the cone of fire 3 hexes from Harry; if Harry still felt the need to make the shot, he needs to roll ToHit against Horath, not the bandit, and then the bandit will get any stray shots (assuming there is no one ELSE in Harry’s way). Streamlined Burst Mode Instead of rolling To-Hit for every single bullet fired, this is a revised Burst rule. Rolling To Hit in Burst Mode is a little different than normal To-Hit rolls. Instead of rolling To Hit for every bullet, the player rounds off the To-Hit number to the nearest 10 (73% would become 70, 45% would become 50) and then rolls as many 10-sided dice as are necessary for the burst. If the player is shooting a 5-roundburst or less, they have better control over the gun and can round up on the dice. If they are firing more than 5 rounds in one burst, round the number down. The exception to this rule is guns that only fire a specific burst, like miniguns and bozars. These weapons are designed to spew as many bullets as possible per round, and the player should round up instead of down, as the weapon itself can compensate for automatic fire (in fact, it was designed for it). For ease of play, it is always helpful to have a few spare 10-sided dice lying around. All those dice rolling at once actually sounds sort of like an automatic weapon, anyway. See Examples of Determining and Rolling To-Hit, below. Any roll of “0” automatically means a failure of that shot, and player must roll To-Hit again to see if the shot hit the next-nearest object in the cone of fire. Other failed bullets must also roll to-hit against other critters, players, or NPCs in the cone of fire, until either there are no more targets or all bullets have hit something.

Double-Shot Weapons Some shotguns are double-shot weapons. This means that they have two barrels, with two shells, and two triggers that can be fired either simultaneously or independently. If a shotgun is discharged in a double-shot, only one to-hit roll needs to be made; both shots are going the same place. However, two damage rolls should be made. See Attack Step Two: Damage below. When attempting to unload both barrels of a shotgun, the sheer force exerted by the blast will cause the weapon to become much more unwieldy. Making a double-shot reduces the range of the shotgun by 3 hexes. See Range Modifiers, above. Example Hit of Determining and Rolling To

Harry and Maverick are exploring that supposedly houses some technology. Unbeknownst to them, of 4 mutated rats lives in one grottos of the cave.

a cave prewar a pack of the

Mutant Rat: HP: 10/10 SQ: 8 AP: 8 MD: 1d4+1 (Claw – Swing 4 AP) AC: 0 DT: 0 DR: 10% Unarmed / Melee: 75% CC 2% The rats do not like intruders and move to attack when they get a whiff of the two characters. One rat, because it initiated combat (maybe it smelled them first), gets to move before all the others. It moves closer to Harry and Maverick, who are standing side by side near the mouth of the cave. Next, everyone determines sequence. Maverick easily wins with 12, and Harry is next with 10. The rats all sequence at 8, so they will move separately. Maverick and Harry both decide to stand their ground and let the rats come to them. Their armor class increases while defending by 8 in Harry's case and by 5 for Maverick, due to their unused AP. The rats use this opportunity to move in, two on the west side of Harry, two on the east side of Maverick. See diagram: R H R M R R

The round ends and since neither side is dead, unconscious, or has run away, and the next round begins. Maverick and

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Harry sequence first. They both decide that guns are the way to go. Because they are fighting near the mouth of the cave, there is a good deal of light. Harry is armed with a Minigun (D: 1d4+6/shot, R:35, Ammo 20/120, W 31 lbs, STR 7, S:n/a, T:n/a, B:6). In addition, he has a grenade in his hand just in case (D: 1d12+22, R:15, STR 3). Maverick is armed with a Desert Eagle .44 (D: 1d6+9, R:25, Ammo 2/8, W 5 lbs, STR 4, S:5, T:6, B:n/a). Maverick has a crowbar in his other hand in case things get ugly (D: 1d12+3, R:1, Swing 4, T/Swing 5). Harry takes aim at a rat with his minigun. Harry's base Big Guns skill is 36%. The GM decides the light level gives Harry a 10% penalty to hit. The rat is not wearing armor and is not very dexterous, so there is no armor class adjustment. The rat is not hiding behind anything (in fact, it is standing directly in front of an 8 foot mutant wielding a minigun!). Harry gains no bonuses or penalties, and a targeted shot with a bullet-spewing nightmare like a minigun is impossible, so his chance to hit is 26%. Not great, but even if 1 out of 4 shots hit, he still turns the rat into mincemeat. Since Harry’s chance to-hit is 26%, he rounds that number up to 30, so he needs 3 on each 10-sided dice to hit. Maverick decides to try and shoot one of the rats with his Desert Eagle. The same penalties apply for Maverick: -10% for light, but his small guns skill is only 25%. The rat again does not have any armor class bonus, nor is it concealed, and Maverick is not taking a targeted shot, so his chance to hit is only 15%. Both characters pull the trigger.. After the Roll Once the chance to hit is determined, the player makes a roll against that number. Rolling that dice is the same as pulling the trigger; if the character snuck up on an unsuspecting person, they had up until that point to stop and suffer no consequences. Once the roll is made, however, there is no turning back. If a character makes an attack with a weapon and misses, that weapon loses one box on its condition bar. If the box is the last box, then the weapon has either

jammed, busted, or fallen apart. For more information, see Weapon Condition, above. It is possible to screw up an attack so badly that something bad happens to the attacker. This is called a critical failure and can be slightly comedic, if not downright hilarious, in a weird sort of way. The chance for a critical failure is always 3%. If an attack fails by a roll of 97-100%, it is a Critical Failure, and the GM rolls on the following table (1d10). Critical Failure Table 1: Ammo Problems - The magazine was damaged or the ammo was bad. The gun does not fire, and the rest of the magazine must be discarded. Weapon jammed Should have cleaned your gun out! The weapon will take 1 turn to unjam, and the ammo inside must be discarded. Loss of AP - D'oh! The attacker looses all remaining AP for that round. Dropped weapon something slipped, and the weapon flew out of your hands and hit the ground. Weapon Explodes - Something nasty that happens only with explosive or energy weapons. Deals 3d10+7 Damage to anyone within 2 hexes of the weapon. OUCH! Hit Something Else - You didn't hit what you were aiming for, but you nailed the next closest target. Hope it wasn't your buddy.. Damage Self - You cut yourself on your knife, or shot yourself in the foot. Half the weapon's normal damage is dealt to YOU instead. You slip and fall. All remaining AP are gone, and next round, you must get up (see Getting Up, above). While down, you loose all Armor Class from Agility. Weapon breaks - the weapon breaks beyond repair. Time for a new one. Oops. Anvil - A miniature anvil falls out of the sky and strikes you on the head for 1d10 points of damage. No chance to dodge, and DT and DR are disregarded for this strange, magical attack.

2:

3:

4:

5:

6:

7:

8:

9:

10:

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GMs are encouraged Critical Failures. examples.

to

make up other These are just

Knockdown with Melee Weapons and Burst Attacks Getting hit with melee weapons and a barrage of bullets from a machine gun not only hurts, but it also has the chance to knock the target flat on his/her/its rear end. In the case of melee weapons, the chance for a knockdown is three times (3X) the weapon’s weight. In the case of a burst attack, if more than half the bullets in the burst actually hit the target, then the target must roll against Endurance to remain on his/her/its feet. If a character or NPC is knocked down, they must spend the usual 4 AP to get up (see Getting Up, above). In addition, the character or NPC does not receive any Armor Class from Agility – their AC drops to what they are wearing.

ability to spread the damage out and reduce some of the nasty effects. DT is a flat number; DR is a % of the total attack. So when determining damage, the formula looks like this: Damage Formula (Initial Damage - Threshold) - ((ID DT) X DR, round down). The player rolls the damage necessary (one roll per bullet in a burst attack) and then applies it to the formula above. If that seems confusing, let's rejoin our friends in the cave. Example: Calculating Damage Harry's rolls were pretty unlucky; only 3 out of 20 shots from his minigun actually hit the rat. The initial damage is 1d4+6 (7-10 HP) per bullet. Jack rolls for damage and gets a 1, a 2, and another 2. One bullet deals 7 HP of damage, and the other two deal 8 each. That's a total of 23 damage, more than enough to turn the rat into hamburger. However, the rat does get a chance to repel some of that damage. Although it does not have a damage threshold (they don't make armor for rats, strangely enough), the rat has developed a natural damage resistance to normal attacks due to its thicker hide. The rat's damage resistance is 10%. From Harry's initial 23 points of damage, nothing is subtracted for DT, but 2 HP (10%) is subtracted for DR. That still isn't enough to save the rat, however, and it crumples in a heap on the floor. Damage in Burst Mode To streamline play, the GM might consider multiplying the initial damage from the first bullet that hit by however many bullets actually hit the target. That way, only one damage roll actually needs to be made. Damage From Non-Conventional Weapons There are several types of weapons in the Fallout universe that are not the simple melee weapon or gun. These weapons have slightly different rules for damage, mostly based upon their effects. Grenades - There are two different ways to lob a grenade at your enemy: throw it

Attack Step Two: Damage

T

he best part about combat is when your opponent actually takes some damage. Each weapon has a certain amount of damage that it does, usually expressed like 2d12 + 8. The exceptions are firearms, where the type of ammo does a certain amount of damage. The gun itself can add a bonus to that amount, but otherwise damage is calculated from the type of ammunition used. The damage done by energy weapons is not based on ammunition type, but the method in which the weapon concentrates the energy. Remember that some shotguns, when both barrels are fired, require that two damage rolls be made for one successful hit. Damage is the one part of Fallout where dice other than 10-sided dice come into play. However, just because something got hit doesn't mean that it will take the maximum amount of damage. Armor has two numbers that reduce damage: Damage Threshold and Damage Resistance. Damage Threshold is how much damage the armor actually absorbs from the attack, and Damage Resistance is the armor's (or the thick, scaly hide of some critters)

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or shoot it. Either way, the grenade does a certain amount of damage, depending on what type of explosive it is. Most grenades have concussion damage, and others have fragmentation damage. These effects will be noted with the grenade type in the Ammunition section, below. Mortars - Mortars are small, personal artillery pieces. They shoot a variety of different projectiles, and have a much longer ranger than grenade launchers. Like grenades, different mortars will have different damage effects, noted by with the mortar type in the Ammunition section, below. Rockets - Rockets are fired either from portable or semi-portable rocket launchers, or from tanks. Rockets act much like grenades and mortars, except that they are self-powered and have a longer effective range. There are a variety of rocket types, and their damage effects are noted in the Ammunition section. Mines – Like grenades, mortars, and rockets, mines cause explosions that have concussion effects as well as blast damage. Sometimes, mines spew pieces of shrapnel as well. The amount of damage that each mine does is listed next to that mine in the Equipment section, below. Gas – Gas weapons spread a damaging cloud of toxicity over a large area, subjecting every biological thing in the cloud to the potential for harm. Different gas weapons describe the size of the cloud and the effects of the gas, and whether or not the gas damages from inhalation or contact. Electricity – Shocking! Any character hit with an electrical shock must make a roll against Endurance (sometimes with modifiers, if the source was strong enough). Failure means the character is knocked unconscious for 1d10 rounds. Flamethrowers - Although flamethrowers aren’t the most widely used weapons in the wastes, they can be one of the deadliest in the right hands. When someone uses a flamethrower, it acts much like a thrown knife or grenade – even if it doesn’t hit, it has to end up somewhere. The GM should decide, based on how close the to hit roll was, just

how close to the target the flame burst hit. The GM should then draw a line between the user and the hex where the flames hit; everything in the connecting hexes suffers the full effects of the firestream. Note that flamethrowers, like other non-conventional weapons, can be adapted to shoot things other than fire. These things are generally very, very unpleasant.

Attack Step Criticals

Three:

Chance

for

E

very successful attack means the attacker has a chance for a critical hit. If the roll to hit is equal to or less than the character’s or critter’s critical chance, then the attack becomes critical. Note that if a gun firing in burst mode hits a target more than once, only one of those bullets is allowed a critical hit (once per attack). Targeted shots get a bonus to critical chance based on the body part targeted as per this table, and have different effects for damage, discussed below. Bonuses by Body Part for Targeted Shots Target Arms Legs, Groin Head Eyes Critical Chance Bonus +10% +20% +25% +30%

limbs). Targeted Shots to the torso that become critical instantly deal two times the damage, and Targeted Shots to the head that become critical deal three times the damage. Ouch. A Targeted Shot to the groin that results in a critical hit deals twice the damage and renders the target unconscious. Example: Chance for Criticals Returning to the example, Harry's rolls were good, but none fell within the range of 1-6% Better luck next time.

didn't have any action points left. The two rats lose 10% from the light, so their chance to hit is 60% (75% minus 5% for AC and 10% for light). The first rat attacks and manages to miss twice. The other rat hits both times. The rat rolls a 1 and a 3 for damage, so Maverick has an attack for 2 and an attack for 4 coming. He has no Damage Resistance or Threshold (no armor) so he loses 6 hit points. His hit points are down to 21. The round is over, and neither side is dead or incapacitated, so the combat continues. Harry, again, sequences first. He signals Maverick that he wants to chuck his grenade and spends his 8 APs moving away from the rats. Maverick gets the hint and moves 5 hexes the other direction, giving the mutant plenty of space. Not surprisingly, the rats can't seem to make up their minds which to follow. Two of the rats circle for a few seconds, using up their APs, while one particularly brainy rodent follows Maverick. The round is over. Combat continues.

Attack Step Four: Continuing and Ending Combat

A

s stated previously, combat ends when all opponents are either incapacitated or dead. The process is simply repeated until only one side remains standing. Afterwards, experience points are awarded and characters may take what they want from the bodies of their opponents. Example: Combat Continues and Resolves Maverick makes his attack roll and fails. Maverick's pistol echoes loudly off the cave walls and his bullet goes harmlessly into the cave floor. Firing the gun took all his AP; he has no choice but to end his turn. Now, the rats have a chance to attack. Their Unarmed skill is 75%, and they have 8 AP, so they can attack twice if they desire (and since blood is on their little rodent minds, they do!) Harry has one rat attacking him; his Armor Class is 8, plus the two points from defending, making it 10. The rat gets a -10% from the light as well. Harry is not covered, and rats do not generally make targeted attacks, so no penalties are handed out for those. The rat has a 55% chance to hit, and it makes two attacks. Both hit, neither critically. The rat rolls 1d4 for damage (twice) and came up with a 3 and a 4. That's 4 and 5 points of damage going Harry's way. Harry's natural 25% Damage Resistance takes one point away from each attack, so the rat's sharp little claws dig into him for a total of 7 points of damage. Harry is now at 25 hit points. Two rats converge Maverick's Armor Class on is Maverick. 5, and he

Harry wants to aim for a hex that has one rat in it, and one rat adjacent to it. There is no necessary range modifier, since Harry's PE and ST are high enough to allow this roll without any modifiers. Harry's throwing skill is 52%, and with the low light, that leaves him with only 42% chance of success. Maverick isn't necessarily thrilled with the prospect of being in the range of a grenade, but Harry assures him that he can make the shot. Harry rolls a 45%, missing. The GM determines that the grenade hit pretty close to the target, perhaps one hex away. BOOM! Since nothing is in the hex that the grenade exploded in, there is no need to roll for damage. However, one of the rats is in an adjacent hex, so it gets 1d6 of frag damage. The other two rats and Maverick, however, are all within two hexes of the explosion. They all suffer 1d6 of concussion damage. The rat that got the fragmentation took 5 damage from that, and 4 damage from the blast concussion. It expires. The

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other rat took 5 points of concussion damage. The rat by Maverick took 3 points of concussion damage. Not enough to kill them, but it got their attention. Maverick himself took only 2 points of concussion damage, taking his HP down to 20. Maverick sequences next. He decides to beat the rat at his feet with his crowbar. Maverick's Melee Weapons skill is 38%, and the light reduces that to a mere 28%. Not seeing much of a choice, Maverick takes a swing. He managed to roll a 2%, qualifying for a critical hit! The Gamemaster decides to forego rolling for damage and instead describes how Maverick, half-crazed from the concussion, managed to catch the rat on a corner of his crowbar and beat it into the dirt several times, breaking the poor mutated critter's bones and causing it to go to an early grave. The final rat sequences. Half-dead and smelling the blood of the rest of its pack, it lumbers off in the darkness. After the rat staggers behind a wall, combat ends. The Gamemaster decides that Harry and Maverick both get 100 experience points for slaying the rats.

The five “systems” on a vehicle are universal, although they may be named different things on different vehicles. Obviously, they will differ greatly in some cases and be indistinguishable in others. The vehicle sheet included at the back of the book has a rough diagram of a vehicle, broken down into the five systems with room to display the different hit points and damage resistance for each one. The descriptions in the Vehicles section of the book break each vehicle’s system down in the appropriate numbers. The five vehicle systems are – generally - Structure, Engine, Control System, Drive System, and Treads/Tires. Again, these may differ for different kinds of vehicles, like aircraft and boats. The necessary changes will be noted in the vehicle’s description. Note that the Treads/Tires category is split up into two, three, or four separate “subsystems,” one for each tread or tire, that all take damage separately. Targeting Vehicle Systems ehicles are large enough to allow combatants to target certain areas without a penalty (except for the usual –10% when a vehicle is in motion). Anti-tank weapons are designed to come down on top of a vehicle, and therefore almost always target the structure or engine. Alternately, mines are designed to take out a vehicle’s drive system and tires. When an attack against a vehicle is made that is not a pre-determined attack, like a TOW missile launcher, then the attacker must announce what vehicle system he or she is aiming for. Regardless of the vehicle system aimed for, other systems can and do take damage normally – they are subject to blast, shrapnel, and concussion damage from explosives. EMP Attacks

V

Vehicle Combat

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ehicle combat occurs much the same way that regular combat occurs. Each individual character sequences as usual. Combat while on a vehicle can be a particularly exciting aspect of roleplaying, especially if combat occurs at the climax of a story – you are rescuing the mayor’s daughter from the clutches of evil bikers and they are chasing you down, for example. Vehicle Damage ike everything else in the Fallout universe, vehicles take damage. Vehicles are divided into five separate “systems” or areas that all have a certain number of hit points and a damage resistance (vehicles do not have a damage threshold). In addition, each vehicle has an Armor Class to help them avoid taking damage, and any to hit roll against a vehicle suffers an automatic –10% penalty because the vehicle is in motion – it’s simply harder to hit a moving target.

O

ne of the most devastating attacks made against vehicles are EMP attacks, because many parts of a vehicle are electronically controlled. It should be noted, however, that EMP attacks have no effect on a vehicle system that is not electronic, like the treads or the structure. An EMP mine can, however, utterly destroy a vehicle’s drive, control, and engine

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systems in a split second. Such is the risk of driving in the wastes. Damaging and Destroying Systems

W

hen a vehicle system has lost more than 66% of its total hit points, the system becomes inoperative. When this happens, the system simply shuts down. The following table should be used as a guide to determine what happens when a system is rendered inoperative: Inoperative Systems Effects System Structural Engine Controls Drive Effect Vehicle begins to fall apart Vehicle coasts to a halt The driver can no longer steer or control speed (!) Engine continues to run, but vehicle begins to coast (no more acceleration) Vehicle immediately stops (treat as a crash for everyone inside) Driver must make an immediate Pilot roll to avoid crash, and top speed is reduced to 25% normal

Passengers in the vehicle can all attack as normal, but will receive a –10% penalty to all to-hit rolls because they are in a moving car (or truck, or whatever). There are some kinds of weapons that cannot be used in all vehicles, mostly Big Guns and Energy Weapons that are simply too bulky to fire inside of a small car or buggy. The GM can ultimately use his or her discretion to allow different types of weapons; if the party is on top of a train or a semi-truck, then using a heavy machinegun wouldn’t be a problem. If they are stuck in the back of a tiny little sports car, it would be a big problem. During the driver’s turn in combat, she announces what actions she intends to take that round; this is how the GM can determine trajectory, speed, and so forth. The driver must announce at what speed they intend to drive, and the approximate path they wish to take. For more details on specific vehicle actions like sharp turns, rapid braking, and rapid acceleration, see Vehicle Movement and Speed, below. Driving does not take AP, and the driver can attack, but suffers penalties to both the Pilot Roll (see below) and his or her to-hit (see Driver Actions, below). Pilot Roll t the end of each round of vehicle combat, the driver of each vehicle must roll vs. his or her Pilot skill. A successful roll means that the driver has kept her cool and combat can proceed as normal. A failed roll means that the driver couldn’t maintain control of the vehicle, and the vehicle either crashes or rolls over, and everyone inside is subject to crash damage and other results of impact (see below). There are many modifiers to the Pilot roll, based on what the driver was doing in combat as well as terrain, light, and other factors. For a complete list of these modifiers, see Driving Actions, below. Driving Actions here are many different things a driver can do during combat. For roleplaying purposes, it might be a good idea to remember that if all the

Treads

Tires

If a vehicle ever looses 100% of its hit points in any system, that system is totally destroyed and must be replaced entirely. This can be a major pain, as vehicles are incredibly rare in the wastes, and working parts are sometimes even more rare.

A

The Mechanics of Vehicle Combat
Sequence

S R

equence is determined as normal in vehicle combat.

Rounds ounds in vehicle combat proceed just like regular combat rounds, with characters deciding what to do based on sequence. The difference is that the characters may be in vehicles, and vehicles behave a little differently than the normal, solid ground. For one thing, ranges are static, changing every round, and the characters are all at the mercy of the driver.

T

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party members are shouting at the driver, the driver might be more apt to make a mistake. Not unlike real life, when everyone in the car is shouting at the driver and making lots of noise. Accelerate Put the pedal to the metal! If the vehicle isn’t already going at top speed, then the driver can make it go as fast as she wants - up to the top speed, of course. The vehicle’s acceleration lists how long, in rounds (10 second increments), it takes to reach maximum speed from a standstill. Use this as a rough guide; if the vehicle’s maximum speed is 100 KPH, and the vehicle is traveling at 40 KPH, and it takes 2 rounds for the vehicle to reach top speed from a stand still, then it would take about 1 round to reach maximum speed. Note that vehicles with sails do not accelerate as normal. Brake Slow down, buddy, there are pedestrians here! Braking is the opposite of acceleration: slowing down. Each vehicle’s statistics gives a braking rate in rounds: how much speed a vehicle can loose in 1 round of combat, based mostly on size and mass. Braking can be quite dangerous, however: see Pilot Roll Modifiers, below. Note that vehicles with sails and aircraft cannot necessarily come to a complete stop. See Sea Combat and Air Combat, below. Turn Driving would be boring if it was always on a straight line. Vehicle combat would be boring if there weren’t wild turns around sharp corners in bombed-out cities, too. Each vehicle’s statistics give a Turning Radius, which is how many meters (hexes) it takes for the vehicle to make a 90-degree turn. Note that the Turning Radius number is given in a straight line, but the turn actually takes place in an arc, or ¼ of a circle. See the (very rough) figure below: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The first column of “hexes” represents the actual Turning Radius number, which if you complete the circle in the 90degree turn represented in the second column would be the distance from the center of the circle to the outside (the circle’s radius). This should be taken into consideration when figuring distance traveled in one round. See Movement at the End of the Round, below. Note that turning, especially at high speeds, can be quite dangerous to all but the most experienced drivers. Attacking The driver can also use weapons in combat, like normal. She will suffer penalties to the Pilot Roll, however (see the table below) and suffers a flat 25% penalty to her to-hit rolls, no matter what type of weapon is used. It’s difficult to drive and shoot at the same time! Nudging Here’s the fun part of driving a car – tapping the other guy so he spins out and crashes. Unfortunately, you can guarantee that he probably has the same idea. When two vehicles nudge in combat, both drivers need to make a roll against Pilot (this is a separate roll from the roll against Pilot at the end of the combat round). For every 10 KPH the vehicle is traveling, the driver gets a –5% penalty to the roll (nudging is based primarily on speed). If either driver fails, the vehicle they were controlling crashes. See Crashing, below. Running Someone or Something Down One of the advantages of vehicle combat is that being inside of a ton of moving metal and plastic affords the passengers a little protection against people and critters who are not in a vehicle. It also means that the driver has a handy weapon at her disposal: a large, speeding missile that may not have a lot of grace, but can break bones and crunch skulls better than any melee weapon. Running someone or something down isn’t as easy as it seems. Unless there is some way the target is unaware of the vehicle coming at him, the intended target gets to roll against Agility to avoid being hit by diving out of the way.

elow are two tables of modifiers for the Pilot Roll. The first is terrain, broken down for three kinds of vehicles: land, sea, and air. The second table includes modifiers for different actions in combat. Usually, terrain modifiers only have to be determined once. If the sun is down, the Pilot Roll is made at a –10% penalty (you just can’t see as well at night). Note that some vehicles and vehicle enhancements give specific bonuses to certain situations, or simply to all Pilot Rolls. Those bonuses should also be taken into account when rolling against Pilot. Note also that terrain modifiers and action modifiers can be combined. If the driver attempts to turn at more than ½ the vehicle’s top speed in the rain, for instance, these modifiers would all be added together. Terrain Modifiers Land Situation Roll Modifier Unbroken Road +30% (Intact highway, new streets) Broken Road +15% (Road with potholes, heavily traveled dirt roads) Bad road (Heavily damaged road, +0% unmaintained dirt trails) Open field +0% (grassland, desert, dry area with few rocks) Field with scrub, streets -5% with debris, open hills Fields with obstacles, wet -10% streets, hills with scrub Light forest, wet open -20% fields, hills with obstacles Muddy ground -25% Drenched ground, wet sand -30% Sea Situation Calm seas Gentle waves Rolling waves Big waves Stormy waves Hurricane waves Roll Modifier +20% +0% -5% -15% -25% -50%

Addition Weather Modifiers Rain Snow Ice Action Modifiers Traveling at a speed < ½ vehicle’s top speed Traveling at a speed > ½ vehicle’s top speed More than doubling current speed by accelerating More than halving current speed by braking Turning for every 10 KPH Currently traveling (50 KPH = 50%) Driver Attempting to Attack Crashing: Damage

-20% -30% -70%

-0% -10% -10% -15% -10%

-20%

If a driver fails a Pilot roll, then the vehicle has crashed. For every 10 KPH the vehicle was traveling, each character inside must roll a 1d10 for damage, rounded down to the lowest 10 (39 would become 30, or 3d10). If a vehicle hit a tree at 23 KPH, then everyone inside would have to roll 2d10 and take damage. For an air crash, this could easily be a lot of damage (the GM should determine about how fast the aircraft dropped to the ground like a rock). The vehicle is also subject to the same damage roll as the passengers, losing that amount of hit points, distributed throughout the five systems. Crashing should probably be avoided, if possible. Remember that sea vehicles do not crash, and are therefore not subject to crash damage. They will overturn, however, and everyone will be forced to start swimming. For details on swimming, see Swimming under Life in the Wastes, below. The GM can determine if the craft will go to Davy Jones’ locker or float long enough for the characters to turn it over and get back into the action. Remember that anything not tied

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down and buoyant tends to sink in water – like guns, big metal armors, and so forth. Crashing: Broken Limbs

The GM can use the following function to determine how many meters a vehicle can move in one round of combat, at a given speed (KPH): Meters moved = KPH X 2.78 (round down)

In addition, everyone inside has a chance equal to the speed of the vehicle of receiving a broken limb. If a vehicle was chugging along at 45 KPH, that’s a 45% chance of breaking something in a crash. If the character is wearing a seat belt or restraint of some kind, that character’s chances of a broken limb are reduced to half normal, rounded up – 45% becomes 23%. Crashing: Head Wounds If the victim’s roll for broken limbs was 5% or less, the character has suffered a head wound and is unconscious; his or her hit points are automatically reduced to 10, and he or she will wake up in 15 full rounds, minus the character’s Endurance. A character with an Endurance of 4 would wake up in 11 full rounds. The character must roll for broken limbs again to see if anything else is hurt (without the seat belt bonus, if applicable). Crashing: After Damage is Dealt After the crash, everyone inside the vehicle must spend at least 1 full round of combat climbing out of the wreckage, and it must be the round of combat after the crash took place. If any limbs were broken in the crash, that makes climbing out much harder; a character must spend 3 full rounds climbing out, or another character or NPC must help that person out of the wreckage. Movement at the End of a Round

When the GM has determined how far all vehicles have moved in one round, he or she should make adjustments on the hexsheet, just like in moving critters in regular combat (the difference being, of course, that the movement is all done at once at the end of the round instead of during the round). To simplify things, the GM might want to determine the difference between what the various vehicles have moved and adjust accordingly. It is far easier to close the distance by 5 hexes than it is to run models over enormous 1000+ hex sheets. Scenery and buildings, of course, are another matter entirely.

Damage and Death
ife in the wastes inevitably results in hurt people. Most damage is taken from combat situations with hostile critters and people, but occasionally there are other forms of damage that a character can take. Most of these are adventurespecific (they fall into a deep ravine, for example) although a few are universal. Fire and Acid Damage f a character is on fire (or covered in acid, or some other nasty problem) they suffer 1d6 points of damage per round. Remember that a round is 10 seconds of real time. Fire can be extinguished by spending one full combat round rolling on the ground, provided the ground isn’t on fire, too. The person or critter’s AC will be reduced to what they are wearing while on the ground, and the must spend the usual 4 AP to get up the next round. Note that the poor person still takes damage during the turn in which they are extinguishing themselves. Unfortunately, getting rid of acid is different. Acid usually has to be washed off with either water or chemicals, depending. Some acids are aggravated by water, so the character will want to consider the consequences

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t the end of every round, assuming the driver hasn’t crashed or rolled the vehicle over, the vehicles move based upon their current speeds and where the drivers were intending to take them. Although speeds are given in KPH, a little simple math will give actual distances in meters (hexes). It may help a GM to adjust the scale of a hexsheet for vehicle combat, especially large-scale vehicle combat, perhaps making 1 hex = 5 meters, or even 1 hex = 10 meters.

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carefully before he or she jumps in a swimming pool to wash off. Poison Damage

P

oison works a little bit like fire. If a character comes into contact with a poisonous object, such as a poison dart or a scorpion's tail, they make a roll against poison resistance. If that roll fails, they are poisoned. Each additional failure against a poison attack results in another level of poisoning. Different poisons do different things. Most only cause 1-2 points of damage per hour, or per round, although some result in death in a certain amount of time and others will lower stats temporarily. For each level of poisoning, the poison stays in the character's bloodstream for a certain amount of time, indicated on the chart below. If a scorpion stings a character three times, the character will be poisoned for three days. There are, of course, poison antidotes. If a character fights a poison off naturally (without the use of an antidote or a doctor), the antibodies he or she builds up add a +2% to their Poison Resistance. Note that if a poison lowers statistics, racial minimums are not taken into account; sickness can weaken even the strongest mutant. Poison Types and Effects Type A - The most common kind of poison, type A is a mild infection often carried in the bite of some kinds of animals. Causes 1 HP of damage per hour (roll Endurance for no damage), and stays in the system for 18 hours. Type B - A distilled version of the Type A poison, this irritant is used by tribals for hunting small game. In mass quantities, it could make a person very sick. Causes 2 HP of damage per hour (roll Endurance for no damage), and stays in the system for 18 hours. Type C - Type C poison causes severe abdominal cramps and sickness, incapacitating the victim for 12 hours after contact, effectively lowering Strength, Perception, Agility and Endurance to 2 for 12 hours.

Type D - This is a far nastier kind of poison. Most often found in the sting of a radscorpion, it can easily kill the unprepared adventurer. A refined version of this poison is used to make Antidote. Causes 4 HP of damage per hour (roll Endurance for half damage), and stays in the system for 24 hours. Type E - Distilled radscorpion venom, used for hunting bigger game. Causes 6 HP of damage per hour (roll Endurance for half), and stays in you for 24 hours. Type F - Very rarely will an animal have a poison this bad, but it does happen. Certain spiders and snakes were known to have a venom like this before the War, and it is likely that someone out there has it now, either naturally or chemically. Type F poison causes the victim to go into shock about 1 hour after contact, and they slip into a coma for 1d10 days. For each day the character spends in a coma and goes untreated by a doctor or an antidote, that character must successfully roll against Endurance or die. Type G - The worst kind of poison. These are generally only made in laboratories, although there may be some species out there that carry them. Causes death 5 minutes after exposure, unless Antidote is administered. Radiation Damage

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adiation is one of the most horrifying realities of the postnuclear world. There will always be a certain degree of background radiation since the bombs went off, and a little bit of radiation encourages mutations in animals, some of which happen to be useful, at least evolutionarily speaking. Humans, however, weren't really designed to handle high amounts of radiation (ghouls and super-mutants are exceptions, of course). Not every source of radiation poisoning is immediately obvious; a character could just as easily accumulate rads camping in a highly radiated area for a few nights as they could walking through a blast crater. Radiation levels are measured in "rads," a standard unit that measures how many radioactive particles enter the bloodstream. Around 1000 rads is

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considered lethal. The problem with radiation is that it doesn't leave the body for a long time - around 10 rads in 24 hours - and radiation sources put out hundreds of rads per day. A few rads won't hurt you - in fact, household smoke detectors contain Americanium, a radioactive isotope. A person can take about 6 or 7 rads a day without feeling the side effects. Radiation is treatable only at qualified medical institutions and with certain kinds of drugs. Radiation resistance measures how much radiation doesn't enter the bloodstream (in a percentage of total rads). Of course, a character doesn't necessarily know how many rads he or she has accumulated, unless they own a Geiger counter. That's up to the GM to keep track of. This table is unpleasant, but so are the results of nuclear war. 24 hours after each level of radiation poisoning, the following effects occur: Rads 50: Effects Character feels abnormally tired.

character's body begins to shut down. One only experiences this level of radiation after long-untreated poisoning and continued adventuring, or if they decide to prowl around ground-zero without some protection. Gas Damage

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ver since its invention at the beginning of the First World War, chemical warfare has become a standard – and horrific – aspect of battle. A gas mask or certain kinds of armor will lessen the effects of gas attacks, but if a character is caught unaware, she will be subject to the gas’ terrible poisons. The effects vary from chemical to chemical, and the radius of the gas cloud is given in the weapon’s description. It is usually a good idea to run out of the effects of the cloud immediately; the lasting effects of the gas continue from the round in which the gas disperses, if the character is still standing in the cloud. Some armors will protect against gas attacks with builtin respirators and filters. As previously noted, there are two kinds of gas: the kind you inhale and the kind that hurts you just by skin contact. The stats for each kind of armor will explain what kind of resistance each suit gives against the two kinds of gas. Sometimes an item, such as a gas mask, will give the user a degree of resistance against one kind of gas or another. Crippled Limbs and Blindness

100: Character begins to feel weak and achy. Skin itches slightly. A sunburnlike rash appears. 400: Character feels weaker. Muscles and joints hurt. The skin itches and small, open sores begin to develop. Some hair begins to fall out. Normal humans generally cannot reproduce (or have very mutated children) at about this level of radiation poisoning. 600: Character begins to vomit and experience diarrhea. Joints and muscles still hurt, but that's the least of their problems at this point. Open sores cover the skin, and hair falls out in large clumps. They develop a nice glow at night. 800: Character vomits blood, as well as experiences bloody diarrhea. Hair is gone at this point. The skin begins to get soft, and hangs off in places. Death will occur in 72 hours after experiencing this amount of radiation poisoning, unless treated. 1000: Forget the 24 hour time limit; this level of radiation poisoning causes unconsciousness a few minutes after exposure. A few minutes after that, the

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ccasionally, a good critical hit or a really unlucky run-in with a trap will result in a crippled limb, or worse, blindness. A crippled (broken or maimed) leg reduces the character's movement by ½ - this means that it takes two AP to move one hex in combat. In addition, that character's effective Agility goes down to half its normal level. Two broken or crippled legs reduces movement to almost nil – a character can only move one hex per round of combat, and his or her effective Agility drops to 1. Crippled arms means that the character can no longer use that arm to hold a weapon in combat; it can still be used outside of combat, but takes much longer to perform even the most basic functions. For each crippled arm, the character loses 1

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point of Agility. Characters with a crippled arm cannot use two-handed weapons; characters with two crippled arms cannot use any weapon at all. Blindness is a little worse. In addition to gaining all the penalties for being in total darkness (see Light Adjustments, above), the character's Perception drops to 1. Both blindness and crippled limbs can only be treated by a doctor (for a price) or by someone with the Doctor skill (for information on the Doctor skill, see Healing below). Note that a blind character cannot play doctor with themselves; someone else must cure them (the blind can't cure the blind in the Fallout universe). Successfully treated limbs and eyes still take 48 hours to return to close to normal status, with rest. Robots with crippled limbs or blindness must be “treated” with a successful use of the Repair skill in the same way a living creature is treated with Doctor. Unlike their flesh-and-blood counterparts, however, the robot gains full use of a repaired limb or sensor plate immediately. Chems, Addiction, and Withdrawal

When (not if) a character can no longer get a supply of drugs, they begin to go into withdrawal. Generally, after 24 hours, a character loses one point of Perception and one point of Agility. They also lose their ability to heal (see Healing, below). After another 24 hours, they lose two points of Perception and Agility (for a total of three points) and lose one point of Strength and Endurance. After another 24 hours, the character lapses into unconsciousness. They then must make an Endurance check every hour (with their modified Endurance). If the character has five successful checks in a row, they wake up and have shaken the addiction, but suffer a permanent loss of one point of Endurance. If the character fails five checks in a row, he or she dies. Withdrawal can be an agonizing time for the character and the party, especially in the middle of an adventure. Healing

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rug and chem addiction still exists in the post-nuclear world. From the uranium miner looking for a way to escape from a dead-end life to the mercenary who buffs himself up before battle, drugs are as commonplace as radiation in the Fallout universe. Most drugs and chemical substances have an addiction rate of some kind. When the drug is taken, the character rolls the drug's addiction rate (plus or minus any modifiers). If the roll "succeeds," the character has developed a chemical dependency for the drug. Chemical dependencies are fine (in most cases) so long as the character keeps getting more of the drug. The problem is that many drugs are VERY expensive, and the distributors of drugs offer a few doses at a low price to get a person hooked, and then begin to jack that price up.

here are two ways to heal a character: naturally, through time, and quickly, through the use of skills, chems, and clinics. Characters naturally heal a certain amount of hit points per day (see Healing Rate, above). When resting, they heal hit points equal to their Healing Rate every 6 hours. When active, they heal hit points equal to their healing rate every 24 hours. Some chems heal a character quickly. A character should beware, however, because some healing chems carry the risk of addiction with them. In addition, doctors can patch up lost hit points, but be prepared to pay. The First Aid and Doctor skills offer alternatives to the slow rate of healing and high prices charged at clinics. The First Aid skill can only be used three times in a 24 hour period, successfully or not. Each use of First Aid heals 1d10 hit points, if successful. Each use also takes 1d10 minutes to perform. Doctor skill works in much the same way. Doctor skill can heal 2d10 hit points if successful, but can only be used twice in the same day. In addition, a character can use the Doctor skill to heal crippled limbs (See Crippled Limbs

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and Blindness, above). skill takes 1 hour.

Using the Doctor

Life in the Wastes
Trading and Barter uch of the Fallout universe uses a system of bartering due to the lack of money backed by a bank. Money is used only in large cities and casinos, and generally consists of rudimentary gold coins for slot machines and gambling. Otherwise, bartering for goods is done on a value-per-value system. Notice that the items at the end of this book have different values. If a character wanted to buy a gun worth 1000, and had a pistol worth 600 and some ammo worth 500, the merchant would be glad to make the deal – the merchant is getting the better part of the bargain. But the merchant might just throw in that knife worth 100 to even out the deal, or add 100 gold coins to make things right. Sounds easy, right? Not really. A character's Barter skill influences what he or she can buy something for, or get for something. Barter skill works like this: the character compares his or her Barter skill to the merchant's. Whoever has the higher Barter skill has the advantage. Take the higher skill number and deduct the lower skill, and then add that percentage to the value of all that person's goods. If the character has a Barter skill of 50%, and is dealing with a tribal leader whose Barter skill is 25%, the character's goods gain a 25% value. A knife worth 100 would then be worth 125. Of course, the GM could roleplay this situation without all these numbers for a more realistic game experience. Karma s previously mentioned, Karma in Fallout is a numerical measure of how “good” or “evil” a person is. Usually, the GM determines what actions will earn or lose a character Karma points, although adventures may outline changes in Karma points for performing specific actions or quests. Some examples of actions that might earn or lose a character Karma points are: Help a person in trouble: +10 Attack an innocent person: -10 Kill an innocent person: -30 Steal from an honest merchant: -10

If the First Aid or Doctor skills are used in combat to attempt to revive a fallen comrade (see Combat, above), that use counts towards the total daily uses of that skill. Robot Healing

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s noted above, robots do not heal in the same way that living creatures do. Healing chems have no effect on them, and they do not heal naturally. In addition, the use of First Aid and Doctor skills on a robot is useless. Robots can, however, recover lost hit points by applying the Science and Repair skills in the same way that flesh-and-blood creatures are healed by First Aid and Doctor. Science will heal 1d10 hit points in 1d10 minutes, and can only be used on a robot 3 times in a 24 hour period. The Repair skill can repair a broken limb or destroyed sensor array, or to recover 2d10 hit points, but can only be used twice in a 24 hour period and takes 1 hour to use. Unless the robot is blinded, it can perform these healing operations on itself. Death

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h death, that unavoidable final chapter to existence on Earth. Death comes in many forms: old age, car wrecks, and that random passing asteroid. In the Fallout universe, however, characters face the possibility of death every day. That's what makes it an exciting place, right? Sometimes, no matter how well a character plans, he or she ends up dead. Death is generally a one-way street; dead characters cannot come back to life. When I included that "generally," I intentionally left room open for a myriad of possibilities. After all, the wastes are a big, strange place. When a character dies, it is considered customary to write "DEAD" in big, black letters across their character sheet. It may be prudent to have a couple of level one characters ready to go in case something like this happens. Meeting a new party member is only a random encounter away.

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Steal from a crooked merchant: +5 Run over someone’s dog: -5 Kill a notorious bandit: +50 Join a notorious bandit: -40 Disable a ticking nuclear bomb: +100 Detonate a nuclear bomb: -500 And so on. GMs are encouraged to be as creative as they want when doling out Karma points, but not to use them to corral adventurers into performing certain actions. Remember that evil characters can have just as much fun as good characters. Karmic Perks

spit on them, throw things at them, or attack them on sight. Prizefighter The character becomes known by reputation as a boxer, and a good boxer too. After a certain number of wins in the boxing ring, the character earns the Prizefighter perk. People who respect boxers will treat the character better; people who disdain boxing will treat the character will a little contempt. Prizefighters also gain a +20% bonus to their Unarmed skill and Normal Damage Resistance. Slaver A character earns this perk after voluntarily joining the Slaver's Guild. Since the bombs fell, slavery has become a profitable enterprise in lesser civilized (and sometimes the "most civilized") parts of the wastes. In the 100 years since the War, a kind of coalition grew among slavers. They identify themselves with a tattoo that covers most of the face. Of course, that makes their profession obvious to anyone looking at them. Characters with the Slaver tattoo will be treated well by those who respect (and earn money from) slavery, and hated by those who refuse to partake. Reading Books espite what some people think, learning in the wastes is not entirely dead. Occasionally, a character will come across a book. Assuming the character knows how to read, he or she can gain some knowledge from reading the book. Books always add a certain number of skill points towards a specific skill, both of which are given in the book’s description. For more details on how many skill points it takes to raise a skill by 1 percentage point, see Advancement, below. Opening and Breaking Down Doors

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n the Fallout universe, certain actions will earn the character Karmic "Perks." These perks can be good or bad, depending on how you look at them. Below is a list of Karmic Perks, with the actions required to earn them (although most of them should be obvious). Berserker This dubious title is bestowed upon a character (or party) that manages to take out an entire town of people. If a village or small town disappears or ends up dead one day, someone is bound to notice and search for clues. For a mercenary looking for work in some warlord's army, this may be just the thing they want on their resume. For a person looking for honest work in a small town, you can bet that the bullets will be flying as soon as they aren't looking. Of course, taking out a city of a million is damn near impossible (a GM that would allow that ought to have their head examined, in addition to the combat taking over a year), but people will still hear about the person who exterminated a village of 100 tribals. Childkiller A character earns this perk after they slay their first child. Whether a person is the purest good or the darkest evil, they realize that children are the most important thing in the wastes, as they represent the final hope for human survival. Characters who kill children are almost instantly recognized (word manages to get out fast) and hated. Storekeepers won't deal with Childkillers, and they can only find solace in the most evil or insane of places, because other people tend to

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ometimes, a character will find him-or-herself in a situation where he or she needs to get through a door but it is either jammed or locked. If picking the lock doesn’t work (see below), the character can attempt to break the door down. Doors (and other items, like bookshelves, walls, etc.) have a certain

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amount of hit points. After beating on it enough, or rigging it with enough explosives, the door’s hit points will be reduced to 0 and the door breaks open. Noticing, Setting, Setting Off Traps Disarming, and

at all. The character will always assume he or she set the trap correctly. If a character does not notice a trap and walks into the area, he or she is allowed to roll against Agility to avoid setting it off. The GM should not tell the players why they are rolling, but a clever player should catch on quickly that something is amiss. Unfortunately, if a character fails the roll against Agility, it means the trap was sprung that that character and anyone else in the trap’s range is subject to the trap’s nasty effects, be that damage, poison, or worse. There are examples of some kinds of traps in the Equipment section, below. Setting and Disarming Explosives xplosives are a lot like traps, except that the use a timer and are usually much more destructive. Setting explosives can be very useful: you can open doors, destroy or heavily damage vehicles, and even plant them on unsuspecting people. Setting an explosive device takes 1 round (10 seconds). It requires a roll against the Traps skill, made in secret by the GM. Before the roll is made, the character should declare how he or she is going to set the timer – in other words, when they want the bomb to go off. Should the roll fail, the explosives are still set, but will not detonate when the character thinks they will detonate. It is up to the GM to determine if the explosives are going to go off early, late, or not at all. If the roll against Traps critically fails - a roll of 98, 99, or 100 that results in a failure – then the explosives go off in the character’s face. Oops. Disarming explosives works the same way that disarming a trap does. It takes 10 seconds, but if the character fails, the explosive doesn’t necessarily go off right away. Like setting an explosive, only a critical failure – 98, 99, or 100 – will make the bomb explode. A disarmed explosive device can still be used, if the character finds another timer for it. Characters who are hit by an explosive device are going to take damage; there

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raps are a basic part of life in the wastes. Tribals use them to keep animals and raiders at bay, evil genius’ use them to keep intrepid adventurers out of their compounds, and clever people can use them to get the drop on an enemy. When walking into an area with traps, the GM should make a secret roll against each character’s Perception statistic. Those who succeed, notice the traps. Those who don’t are going to run into some problems. Remember that the characters can only see traps (or mines, see below) that are within their line of sight. If a character has no way of seeing a tripwire, the roll against Perception isn’t going to matter. However, if another part of the trap’s mechanism is visible, they character could detect the trap from that. For more information on detecting mines, see Mines, below. After a character has seen a trap, he or she can attempt to disarm it. This requires another roll against the Traps skill. If the roll fails, then the trap goes off in the character’s face. It takes approximately 1 round of combat (10 seconds) to disarm a trap. Wily characters can also use their Trap skill to set a trap or a snare. If they are attempting to set up a complicated mechanism, such as a needle-gun that fires when someone walks across a pressure plate, they need a little bit of time. If it is a simple rope animal trap, it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. When setting a trap, the character must have the proper materials. The GM can determine the amount of time required to set a trap. At the end of that time, the GM makes a secret roll against Traps. Success means that the character has set the trap correctly. Failure means that the character messed up somehow, and the trap will either misfire or not go off

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is no roll against move out of the way.

Agility

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vehicle takes a certain amount of these charges to recharge completely. Thankfully, there are certain areas in the wastes where characters can recharge their Micro Fusion Cells (Small Energy Cells are like alkaline batteries, and cannot recharge). These recharging machines are extremely rare and are often only found in old military installations. The charger will only work if it has power running to it, and takes approximately 1 hour to recharge a Micro Fusion Cell completely. If the recharger happens to be in the hands of a person or organization, be prepared to pay a lot for this service. There are still a few rare vehicles and pieces of equipment that run off of gasoline (or petrol, to my European readers). Gasoline is one of the rarest substances in the wastes, and can be very difficult to come by. There will be stores in large cities that sell it, but only in exchange for something very valuable – like everything you own. It all depends on how badly you need that go-juice. Random Encounters uch of the world has fallen into a state of complete disrepair in the years since the War, and safe travel is never guaranteed in the wastes. When traveling between locations, there is a chance for random encounters. Random encounters can break up the monotony of long travel, provide combat and experience points (and, of course, loot), and even serve as comic relief. The specific adventure modules will instruct the GM on how often to roll for an encounter, and what chance the party has to meet one. In general, random encounters are usually terrain-specific; a party isn’t going to meet a bunch of desert lizards in the middle of a jungle. If the party does meet a random encounter, then they have a chance to avoid the encounter. The “leader” of the party – the character who is first in marching order, or at the front of the party – must make a roll against Outdoorsman. If the roll succeeds, the character has spotted whatever the party

Detecting, Laying, and Disarming Mines ines are a cowardly way to fight a battle, but have become quite common in the wastes both as a weapon of fear and a practical way to defend an area when manpower is low. Detecting mines works in exactly the same way as detecting a trap, except that the character can only see mines in a hex-radius equal to their Perception. Once the GM makes a secret roll against Perception, and the character succeeds, they can only detect mines within their range that are not obscured by anything. Perceptive characters had better tell their friends about mines as quickly as possible. Laying mines counts as setting explosives, except that the mine has no timer, and therefore will not go off improperly – it just won’t function correctly (or it will hurt the minelayer). The same goes for disarming mines – but the character needs to know if a mine is there in the first place. Unfortunately, unless a character is looking for mines, that usually means someone will have to walk over one first. A defused mine is useless and cannot be reused. When a mine detonates, it damages everything in a certain radius, depending on the device (see the descriptions in the Equipment section, below, for details). In addition, any other mine within the blast radius has a 80% chance of detonating, and any mine within the concussion radius has a 40% chance of detonating. Intelligent raiders have been known to rig elaborate – and devastating - traps with mines. Should a mine go off, anyone in the blast radius is affected; there is no roll against Agility to avoid damage. Energy, Gas (Petrol), and Power nergy weapons and most vehicles run off of Energy Cells in the Fallout universe. There are two kinds of cells: Small Energy Cells, which look a little like tiny batteries, and Micro Fusion Cells, which look like bigger batteries. Each cell holds a certain amount of charges, and each weapon or

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will encounter and can decide whether or not to avoid it. Parties that meet random encounters will start at a position of 5 hexes multiplied by the “leader’s” Perception from the middle of the group the party is encountering. This means that if the leader’s perception is 6, the party starts 30 hexes from the center of the encounter (the middle of a caravan, for example). If the group the party encounters is big enough, this can still plant them right in the middle of everything. Starting position in random encounters doesn’t matter as much when encountering peaceful things, but it matters a lot if you wandered into a radscorpion nest. Some sample random encounters A merchant caravan selling basic items. A group of slavers on the way back from a successful run. A pack of wild wolves (or lizards, or whatevers). A crashed vehicle, with the pilots dead behind the controls. Some farmers trying to eke out a meager life. Another wandering party of adventurers. Cowboys on a Brahmin drive. A group of tribals out hunting. The GM and the adventure writers are encouraged to create any kind of encounter that will add the right flavor to the adventure. Detecting Sneaking Characters

total darkness, the chance to detect a sneaking enemy drops to 2 times Perception. The GM should ask the characters to make this roll at once, and only tell those who succeed what is going on. If no one succeeds, then the characters may realize something fishy is going on, but won’t know what that something is exactly. Swimming and Wading

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t doesn’t happen very often, but every now and then the party may find itself neck-deep in the wetstuff – literally. Whether it’s because their boat capsized or they are forced to cross a large river or lake without a floatation device, swimming is a fairly simple concept. Water presents some problems, however. The first is that most things in the post-nuclear universe aren’t really designed to float, including weapons, armors, food, and robots. The second is that these things can weigh a character down or sink him in a matter of seconds. A character can safely hold approximately 10 lbs. X STR of weight and safely stay afloat. This includes shoes and clothes. In addition, the character must have at least one hand free. If the character is encumbered any more, he begins to sink along with his precious gear. Staying afloat requires Endurance checks every 10 minutes. Swimming requires an Endurance check every minute. Movement in the water is restricted to one hex for every 3 action points spent moving; this applies to any amount of water knee-deep or above.

The Art of the Thief
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ometimes, the party will have to worry about enemies and critters sneaking up on them. Each character has a base chance equal to 8 times his or her Perception to detect a sneaking enemy. Characters with 5 Perception have a 40% chance of detecting someone trying to get the drop on them. If the sneaker is concealed in partial or semi-darkness, that chance drops to 5 times Perception. If the sneaker is in

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neaking around takes a certain amount of concentration, planning, and luck. When a character wants to sneak, he or she should announce their intentions. The Gamemaster should then roll the character's sneak

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re-roll every minute thereafter. The interesting thing about sneaking is that the character always thinks he or she is successful at it, whether or not they truly are successful (more accurately, the character hopes that they are successful). Only the GM knows for sure if the character is successfully keeping to the shadows. Sometimes a character will be tipped off to an unsuccessful sneak when an NPC gives them a funny look and asks them what they are doing. Things like amount of cover, light, and Perception of people or critters around the sneaker effect the chances to sneak, at the Gamemaster's discretion. Characters who are sneaking successfully get a +40% bonus to their Steal skill while sneaking, and always get to attack first in combat (and sometimes can avoid combat by getting the drop on an enemy and killing him outright). Note that a character cannot normally sneak and run at the same time. Also note that some armors will greatly reduce a character’s chances of sneaking around. Stealing

Planting Items t times, it becomes necessary for the thief to plant an item on another person or critter, or in a bookshelf or cabinet. Perhaps the thief is carrying some incriminating evidence and needs to get rid of it fast. Perhaps the thief has just pulled the pin out of a grenade and wants to slip it in the pocket of an uncooperative guard. Either way, planting an item works in exactly the same way as stealing, except something goes from the thief’s possession to the target’s possession. When the thief fails her roll against Steal, it means that the thief is caught; like Stealing (see above), the target might not want the thief to know that he or she is aware of the plant. The thief always assumes she has succeeded, until the target gives the reason to assume otherwise. Picking Locks

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umans have lived on the Earth for about three million years. For 290,000 of those years, we lived in relative harmony, without war and crime. About 10,000 years ago, someone got the bright idea to begin taking food and locking it up. As soon as one human began to deny other humans access to things, the art of stealing was born. In the Fallout universe, there are still many people keeping things under lock and key. Therefore, it sometimes becomes necessary to relieve them of their items. Characters can attempt to steal from anyone or anything with goods, from people to stores. Sneaking successfully can increase the chances that a character successfully steals an object. If a character fails a roll to steal, it isn't necessarily obvious. The character still may get the item (GM's discretion) but the target will notice. Whether or not the target rips the character's throat out depends on what kind of person they are. If a character fails the Steal roll, and their target wants to initiate combat, their target automatically sequences first in the opening round. Note than when the "target" is looking away (kind of a "picking the pocket" sort of crime), the success rate may increase.

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enerally, locks exist to keep people out of places (or in places, in the case of a cage). Characters can make rolls to break through these defenses, from simple padlocks on lockers in high schools to top-notch safes in corporate offices. There are two types of locks: regular and electronic. Electronic locks require either a key or an item called an electronic lockpick. Electronic lockpicks are generally only available from a Thief’s Guild or a very wellconnected source. Regular locks can be picked without a regular lockpick, although lockpicks can greatly enhance the chances of cracking the lock. The chances of cracking a safe can be increased with safe cracking tools. Lockpicking takes 1 minute to attempt. If the player rolls 95% or more, and that roll results in a failure, then the lock is broken and can only be opened with explosives, which might result in damaging whatever is on the other side of the lock. See Opening and Breaking Down Doors, above.

implement. Perks do have level and statistic requirements at times. Some perks can be added more than once; they have "ranks." A perk with 2 ranks can only be chosen twice. A complete list of perks is below. Occasionally, there are perks one can earn that are not on this list. These are special perks, and should not be treated lightly! Remember that robots never get Perks, even special ones. Action Boy (or Girl) Your character knows how to make the most out of every moment. For each rank of this perk, the character gets an additional Action Point each combat turn. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Agility 5, Level 12 Adrenaline Rush You have a fear of death that allows you to fight harder when you are wounded. When your character's HP drop below 50% of their maximum, your character gains a +1 Strength bonus, but cannot go above the racial maximum. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Strength 1-9, Level 6 Animal Friend Your character spends a lot of time with animals. A LOT of time. Animals will not attack one of their friends, unless the animal is threatened or attacked first. Ranks: 1 Requirements: 5 Intelligence, 25% Outdoorsman, Level 9 Awareness You know exactly what is going on in combat. This perk gives you more information when you examine a critter. You can see their exact number of hit points and the weapon they are armed with, if any. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Perception 5, Level 3 Bend the Rules With this perk, the next time your character gets to choose a perk, they can ignore all restrictions except for race. You rule! Ranks: 1 Requirements: Luck 6, Level 16

In addition, a character gets 3 + (1/2 EN, rounded down) to their maximum HP total and 5 + (2 X IN) skill points to distribute among their skills. Note that skills do not always increase at the same rate. The cost in points to raise a particular skill by one percentage point is listed on the table below. See also Intelligence, above. Skill Progression Current % 1-100 101-125 126-150 151-175 176-200 201+ Advancement: Perks very few levels, characters gain a perk. Perks represent knowledge they've acquired traveling through the wasteland. Perks can affect stats, skills, secondary stats, and sometimes just do strange things. Some will require a creative Gamemaster to Cost to Increase (SP) 1 2 3 4 5 6

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Better Criticals Your shots somehow hurt more than usual. The critical hits you cause in combat are more devastating. When you do a critical hit that does not kill outright, your hit does 150% normal damage (in addition to any damage bonuses already gained). In addition, your chance to cause damage to a limb is increased by 50%. If you critically hit for 40 points of damage, for instance, you would instead deal a whopping 60 points. OUCH! Mutants cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Perception 6, Luck 6, Agility 4, Level 9 Bluff Master You are the king or talking. Whenever stealing, your automatically talk his the situation. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Charisma

+2 bonus to Melee Damage for each level of this perk. Ranks: 3 Requirements: Agility 6, Strength 6, Level 3 Bonus Move You have learned to take longer strides in combat. For each level of this perk, your character can move 2 more hexes in combat. The first two hexes a character moves do no cost any APs. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Agility 5, Level 6 Bonus Ranged Damage You know just where to hit to make it hurt more. Every bullet that successfully hits the target does +2 damage for each rank of this perk. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Agility 6, Luck 6, Level 6 Bonus Rate of Fire Your trigger finger is a little faster than normal. Each ranged weapon attack costs one less AP to perform. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 7, Intelligence 6, Perception 6, Level 15 Bracing You know how to brace large weapons while you are standing. When applicable, you get a bonus for using a tripod just by holding a weapon in your hands. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Strength 7, Big Guns 80%, Level 4. Break the Rules When you choose this perk, you may choose any perk next time, regardless of requirements or race. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Luck 6, Level 20

queen of smooth you are caught character can or her way out of

3, Level 8

Bone Head You have a very thick skull, just like your mother always told you. With the first rank of this perk, you get a 50% chance to avoid being knocked unconscious. With the second rank, that chance increases to 75%. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Strength 7, Level 7 Bonsai Through careful nurturing, you have a small fruit tree growing out of your head. Now you have a steady supply of fruit! Only Ghouls can choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Outdoorsman 50%, Science 40%, Level 12 Bonus HtH Attacks Your character has watched Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee and managed to learn a thing or two. Your character can make more hand-to-hand or melee style attacks per combat turn with this perk. The AP cost to use a HtH or Melee attack is reduced by 1. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 6, Level 15 Bonus HtH Damage You have learned a special technique to deal more damage with your fists and melee weapons. Your character gains a

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Brown Noser You’ve learned how to suck up to your superiors. You get +1 Charisma for reaction roles when dealing with authority figures for each rank of this perk. Dogs and Deathclaws cannot brownnose. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Charisma 5, Intelligence 6, Level 2 Brutish Hulk With this perk, you gain double the normal hit points when you go up a level. Only Deathclaws can choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Strength 7, Endurance 5, Level 8 Cancerous Growth The radiation has mutated you so badly that you thrive in the wastes. You gain a +2 bonus to your healing rate, and can regenerate a crippled limb in 48 hours. Only Ghouls can choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Strength < 7, Level 6 Cautious Nature Your character has learned to be wary of the world around him. His Perception is increased by +3 when determining where he begins in random encounters. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Perception 6, Level 3 Comprehension Looks like all those study skills courses paid off. With this perk, your character gains 50% to the number of skill points earned when reading educational books. Books that normally give you 10 skill points now give you 15. Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Intelligence 6, Level 3 Crazy Bomber Your luck with explosives is legendary. Characters with this perk who fail to set an explosive properly will know immediately, and that explosive will not go off or detonate – it will be reset, so the Bomber can try again. Dogs and Deathclaws cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Traps 60%, Intelligence 6, Level 9.

Cult of Personality Everybody likes your character. EVERYBODY. Instead of getting a negative modifier for the "wrong" kind of karma, you get a positive modifier. Bad people like good characters, and good people like bad characters. Good still likes good and bad still likes bad. Go figure. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Charisma 10, Level 12 Death Sense Your senses are very well developed. You gain a +2 bonus to Perception in the dark, and penalties for light levels are reduced by 50%. You also gain a 25% bonus to detecting enemies who are sneaking around. Only Deathclaws can choose this perk. Ranks: Requirements: Intelligence 5, Level 4 Demolition Expert Your character has learned how to handle explosives like a pro. For characters that like to blow things up, there is nothing better than this perk. Explosives set by this character do 50% more damage and will always detonate on time. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 4, Traps 90%, Level 9 Die Hard You won’t go down without a fight! When your hit points drop below 20% of your maximum, you get an additional 10% Damage Resistance to all types of damage. Ranks: 1 Requirements: First Aid 40%, Endurance 6, Level 2 Divine Favor A higher power has taken a liking to you. Anytime a roll fails, you have the option of re-rolling, but you must accept the results of the re-roll (you cannot re-roll a re-roll). You can only invoke your higher power once in a 24hour period. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Charisma 8, Level 14 Dodger Your character has developed into a slippery little rat. This perk will lower your character's chances to be hit

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in combat. Armor class increases by +5 for each rank. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Agility 6, Level 9 Driving City Style Your character has picked up some aggressive driving techniques. She gets a onetime 30% bonus to Pilot skill, and any rolls against stats made while behind the wheel get a +2 bonus. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Perception 6, Agility 5, Level 9 Drunken Master As a “child of the bottle,” you fight better when you are drunk. You receive a 20% bonus to your Unarmed skill when under the influence of alcohol. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Unarmed 60%, Level 3 Earlier Sequence Your character will be more likely to move before other characters and critters in combat with this perk. Each rank of this perk increases a character's Sequence by +2. Ranks: 3 Requirements: Perception 6, Level 3 Educated Every rank of this perk will add +2 skill points when your character gains a level. Ranks: 3 Requirements: Intelligence 6, Level 6 Empathy You get a better idea of what to say to an NPC with this perk. The GM must warn you when dialogue will be interpreted the wrong way. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Perception 7, Intelligence 5, Level 6 Explorer This perk will make it more likely that your character will find those strange and interesting encounters and items.

It is up to the GM to decide what those items and encounters are. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Level 9 Faster Healing Characters with faster healing just plain heal faster. For each rank of this perk, your character gains a +2 to the Healing Rate statistic. Ranks: 3 Requirements: Endurance 6, Level 3 Flexible Years of exercise have made you very supple. It only takes you 1 AP to change your stance in combat. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Sneak 60%, Agility 6, Level 4 Flower Child With this perk, you are much less likely to be addicted to chems (50% less likely, actually) and suffer ½ the withdrawal time as a normal person. Ranks: 1 Requirements: 5 Endurance, Level 9 Fortune Finder Random encounters yield more money. Of course, you have to take it off the cold, dead bodies of your opponents. How much money is up to the GM. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Luck 8, Level 6 Gain Agility Increases your Agility by +1 permanently. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility below racial max, Level 12 Gain Charisma Increases your Charisma by +1 permanently. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Charisma below racial max, Level 12 Gain Endurance Increases your Endurance by +1 permanently. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Endurance below racial max, Level 12

points (1d6 +4). The second rank adds +8-20 (2 X (1d6 +4)). Ranks: 2 Requirements: Perception 7, Agility 6, Intelligence 5, First Aid 40%, Level 3 Heave Ho! For purposes of determining the maximum range of thrown weapons only, this perk will increase Strength by +2 for each rank. Ranks: 3 Requirements: Level 6 Here and Now With this perk, your character immediately gains enough experience points to go up to the next level. If a character chose this perk at level 9, they would gain enough experience points to go to level 10, placing them at a total of 45,001 experience points. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Level 9 Hide of Scars Your battle-weary flesh has hardened into an armor of its own. You gain +15% to all resistances except for fire. Only Deathclaws can choose this perk. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Endurance 6, Level 10 Hit the Deck! You react very quickly to the sound of an explosive coming your way. You only take ½ damage from ranged explosive weapons by increasing your Explosive DR by 50%. This includes damage from concussion and shrapnel. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 6, Level 4 HtH Evade If your character is not carrying any weapons in either hand, at the end of a combat turn, the character gains 3 points of AC instead of the normal 1 for each unused Action Point. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Unarmed 75%, Level 12 Kama Sutra Master This perk confers great stamina and skill when doing the dirty. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Endurance 5, Agility 5, Level 3

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Karma Beacon Your Karma ran over someone's Dogma. Karma is doubled for the purposes of reaction. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Charisma 6, Level 9 Leadfoot Your reflexes have developed to make you a very fast driver. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are any safer. Characters with this perk can make a vehicle go 25% faster than the vehicle’s maximum speed. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Pilot 60%, Perception 6, Agility 6, Level 3 Leader You have some natural leadership abilities and have managed to cultivate them. Any party member within 10 hexes of you gains +1 to their Agility, up to their racial max, and +5 to their Armor Class. You do not get these benefits – that’s the price of being a leader. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Charisma 6, Level 4 Lifegiver Every time your character gains a level, he or she gains an additional 4 HP for each level of this perk. With two ranks, that's +8 HP per level! Ranks: 2 Requirements: Endurance 4, Level 12 Light Step Characters with this perk are much less likely to set off traps. For purposes of triggering a trap, they gain a +4 bonus to Agility. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 5, Luck 5, Level 9 Living Anatomy This perk confers a +10% bonus to Doctor. Since characters with this perk have greater knowledge of anatomy, they also do +5 points of damage with every attack to living creatures. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Doctor 60%, Level 12

Loner You always were a little different, but now you’ve learned how to use those differences to your advantage. Characters with this perk gain +10% to all skill rolls when at least 10 hexes away from all of the other members of the party. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Outdoorsman 50%, Charisma < 5, Level 4 Master Thief This perk gives a one-time bonus of 15 points to both the Lockpick and Steal skills. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Lockpick 50%, Steal 50%, Level 12 Master Trader This perk confers a one-time 30% bonus to your Barter skill. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Charisma 7, Barter 60%, Level 9 Medic This perk gives a one-time bonus of 10% to First Aid and Doctor. Ranks: 1 Requirements: First Aid OR Doctor 40%, Level 12 Mental Block Mental Block is the ability to tune out any outside mental interference. You must have learned this talent from a passing guru, or from a really late night at the bar. For purposes of determining range in combat AND finding traps ONLY, your character’s Perception is raised by 1, up to the racial maximum. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Level 15 More Criticals Characters with this perk cause more critical hits in combat. Each rank adds +5% to the Critical Chance statistic. Mutants cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 3 Requirements: Luck 6, Level 6

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Mr. (or Ms.) Fixit This perk gives a one-time bonus of 10% to both the Repair and Science skills. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Repair 40% OR Science 40%, Level 12 Mutate! Picking this perk will also make you select one of your current Traits to remove. You then get a chance to pick another Trait. Weird, eh? Ranks: 1 Requirements: Level 9 Mysterious Stranger When you select this perk, there is a chance (30% + (2 X LK)) that your character will gain a temporary ally, but only in random encounters. The GM will choose that ally. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Luck 4, Level 9 Negotiator This perk gives a one-time bonus of 10% to Speech and Barter. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Barter 50%, Speech 50%, Level 6 Night Vision Your character can see better in darkness when you select this perk. Negative modifiers for dark conditions are reduced by 50%. Must be all the carrots you ate.. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Perception 6, Level 3 Pack Rat Each rank of this Perk adds +10 lbs. to your character's Carry Weight statistic. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Level 6 Pathfinder This perk reduces travel time by 25%. You just have a knack for finding those old trails and roads. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Endurance 6, Outdoorsman 60%, Level 6 Pickpocket Characters with this perk gain a 25% bonus to their Steal skill for the purposes of stealing from other

characters or NPCs. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 8, Steal 80%, Level 15 Presence You gain a +1 bonus to your Charisma for reaction rolls for each rank of this perk. Ranks: 3 Requirements: Charisma 6, Level 6 Psychotic Your body has adapted to the use of the stimulant Psycho. Positive effects of Psycho are doubled, and the addiction rate for this drug is halved. Only mutants and half-mutants can choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Endurance 5, Level 8 Pyromaniac This perk will make your character do horrible things with fire - to other people. He or she does +5 points of damage with fire-based weapons such as flamethrowers, molotov cocktails, napalm, and so forth. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Big Guns 75%, Level 9 Quick Pockets It only takes two action points instead of four to swap equipment in combat. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 5, Level 3 Quick Recovery It only costs you one AP to stand up after being knocked down. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 5, Level 6 Rad Child You do not take damage from radiation – in fact, it heals you. You gain an extra +5 to your Healing Rate when in a source of radiation that gives out 10 or more rads an hour. Only Ghouls can choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Endurance 6, Level 3 Rad Resistance Each rank of this perk increases the Radiation Resistance of your character by 15%. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Endurance 6, Intelligence 4, Level 6

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Ranger This perk adds +15% to Outdoorsman. It also makes finding those special encounters and items a little easier. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Perception 6, Level 6 Road Warrior Mad Max doesn’t have a thing on you. You have learned how to drive and shoot at the same time. You do not suffer any penalties when driving vehicles and making attacks at the same time. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Pilot 60%, Intelligence 6, Level 12 Salesman Your character becomes a better salesman with this perk. +20% to the Barter skill. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot be salesmen. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Barter 50%, Level 6 Scout Your character can see further in the wilderness. Maps are easier to read. It is up to the GM to determine exactly how this works. Special encounters and items are a little easier to find with this skill as well. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Perception 7, Level 3 Scrounger You can find more ammo than the normal post-nuclear survivor. You always find double the normal ammunition in random encounters. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Luck 8, Level 9 Sharpshooter With each rank of this perk, Perception increases by +2 for the purposes of determining the modifiers for range in combat. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Perception 7, Intelligence 6, Level 9

Silent Death While sneaking successfully, characters with this perk do double damage using HtH or melee attacks if they can hit their opponent in the back (backstab!) Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 10, Sneak 80%, Unarmed 80%, Level 18 Silent Running This perk allows characters to run and sneak at the same time. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 6, Sneak 50%, Level 6 Slayer The slayer walks the earth! In HtH or melee combat, characters with this Perk do a critical hit with a successful roll against Luck! Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 8, Strength 8, Unarmed 80%, Level 24 Smooth Talker Each rank of this perk will increase your Intelligence by +1 for rolls against that Stat when attempting to smooth-talk NPCs. Dogs cannot choose this perk, since dogs cannot talk. Ranks: 3 Requirements: Intelligence 4, Level 3 Snakeater This perk adds +25% to Poison Resistance. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Endurance 3, Level 6 Sniper When using a ranged weapon, your character will do a critical hit with successful roll against Luck and this perk. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Agility 8, Perception 8, Small Guns 80%, Level 24 Speaker This perk gives a one-time bonus of 20% to the Speech skill. Deathclaws and Dogs cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Speech 50%, Level 9

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Stat! You can heal people must faster than the usual wasteland doctor in combat. When attempting to help a fallen comrade, it only takes 5 APs to use your skill. Ranks: 1 Requirements: First Aid 75%, Doctor 50%, Agility 6, Level 3 Steady Arm Due to your massive size, burst attacks cost 1 less AP. Only mutants can choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Strength 6, Level 4 Stonewall If your character is about to be knocked down in combat, he can roll a percentile dice and has a 50% chance to avoid that fate. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Strength 6, Level 3 Strong Back Each Rank of this perk increases Carry Weight by 50 lbs. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Strength 6, Endurance 6, Level 3 Stunt Devil You know how to bounce when you hit the ground! You take 25% less damage from falling and from vehicle wrecks. In addition, you get a 10% bonus to your Pilot skill. Alas, there are no stunt dogs in the Fallout universe. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Strength 6, Endurance 6, Agility 6, Level 6 Survivalist Gain a +25% bonus to the Outdoorsman skill with this perk. Ranks: 3 Requirements: Endurance 6, Intelligence 6, Outdoorsman 40%, Level 3 Swift Learner Each rank of this perk adds an additional 5% (round up) to your character's experience points when he earns them. For example, Jack's character Garfield kills a Rad Rat (50 XP). He would earn 53 XP instead of the normal 50 at the first rank of this perk. Ranks: 3 Requirements: Intelligence 4, Level 3

Tag! Pick an additional Tag Skill. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Level 12 Talon of Fear Venom has seeped into your claws. All of your unarmed attacks carry a Type B poison. Only Deathclaws can choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Unarmed 60%, Strength 6, Level 12 Team Player You have learned the basic skills of teamwork and sharing. Good for you! Whenever all members of the party are within 10 hexes of your character, he or she gains +10% to all skills. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Charisma 4, Level 12 Thief This perk confers a one-time bonus of +10% to Sneak, Lockpick, Steal, and Traps. Dogs and Deathclaws cannot choose this perk. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Level 3 Tough Hide Exposure to radiation and the harsh wastes has hardened you against the elements. You gain +15 to your Armor Class and a +10% bonus to all resistances. Only mutants can choose this perk. Ranks: 2 Requirements: Endurance < 8, Level 12 Toughness This perk confers a +10% to Damage Resistance to all types of damage. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Endurance 6, Luck 6, Level 3 Tunnel Rat You crawl like a baby. Well, you crawl like a very fast baby. You can move at your normal rate (1 AP per hex) while crouching or prone. Ranks: 1 Requirements: Sneak 60%, Agility 6, Level 4 Way of the Fruit You have learned about the mystical healing effects of eating fruit. For 24 hours after eating a piece of fruit, your character gains +1 to Perception

Part IV: The Fallout Universe (Post-Nuclear United States: The Rough Guide)

The Church of the Mushroom Cloud - A cataclysmic event like the War is the kind of occurrence that inspires people to find faith, and the Church of the Mushroom cloud grew to meet that need. Filled with strange religious practices, including radiation baths and bleeding rituals, the Church has become quite popular in and around Las Vegas, where it is based. It isn't clear what the Church's motives are, or if its popularity is based on "aggressive" methods of conversion, but it is a rapidly growing organization, and one that gains power and influence with each month. The Desert Rangers - When the bombs went off, a group of Army rangers on a routine training exercise in the south Nevada desert managed to take over a prison and throw out "uncooperative" inmates. The rangers, and the inmates that stayed, survived the nuclear winter and built an organization designed to restore law and order to the shattered world. Self-proclaimed protectors of the innocent and weak, Rangers go around trying to restore a little law and order to the largely lawless wastes. They don't have much influence, but small groups of them have been known to affect large changes on towns. The Guardians - Another quasi-religious group is the Guardians. They operate Citadels, often converted prisons or military installations, and horde technology for themselves. Less organized than the Brotherhood of Steel, they live a monk-like existence (and even call each other Sister, Brother, Father, etc.) and limit contact with outsiders. In fact, anyone attempting to enter one of their citadels is usually fired upon. The Guardians are the makers of the awesome Proton Axe, a fearsome weapon that rivals anything the Brotherhood has produced. Not much else is known about the Guardians, except that they loathe the order of the old America almost as much as the disorder of the new. The New California Republic The Republic, or NCR as it is widely known, is a strange mix of pre-War democracy and post-War dictatorship. Begun in the town of Shady Sands, now the capital

T T

his section offers a travel guide to the "canon" Fallout universe; that is, the one that fans of the game will recognize. Also included is information from Fallout's predecessor, Wasteland, which seamlessly fits into the Fallout world.

Some Common Things Fallout Universe

in

the

his is a guide to some organizations and things travelers in the wastes may come across. Many of these are staples of the postnuclear environment. The Brotherhood of Steel - A quasireligious, quasi-political group, the Brotherhood of Steel is an organization spanning most of the western United States and is currently pushing eastward. The Brotherhood is dedicated to preserving technology no matter what the cost. There are many different ranks within the Brotherhood, and three separate “classes”: warriors, scribes, and elders. Unlike the chivalrous knights of old, members of the Brotherhood are not interested in justice for the obviously weaker and less fortunate around them, but instead in keeping their secrecy and preserving and developing technology. Their motives are often unclear, and Brotherhood members are not people to be trifled with. It is safe to say, however, that if a group of Brotherhood knights appears to be helping some less fortunate people, their motives are not altruistic. If you encounter one in the

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(although the city itself is often referred to as the NCR), the Republic covers most of Southern California and some settlements in far west Nevada. Cities and towns send delegates to Shady Sands, which boasts an impressive postWar capitol building, and a president is elected from among the delegates. So far, all of the presidents have come from Shady Sands, the city with the greatest number of delegates, as it is the most populous. To become a citizen of the NCR, a person must agree to follow their rules, most of which are enforced by the huge NCR police force. Mutants and ghouls are not permitted the same membership privileges as humans. Slavery is forbidden in the NCR, and members of the slave guild are thrown in jail on sight. In addition, the government controls what weapons the citizens have access to, and it is illegal to brandish weapons inside city limits. Gambling and prostitution are also illegal in the NCR. The Republic grants a city membership - and, by extension, the presence of the NCR police and protection - in exchange for tax profits and control over trade. The NCR has been known to bully cities into joining, especially when that city trades in something that the NCR needs, although such bullying is usually done with embargos, not guns. Police - Each town maintains its own police force, usually headed by an elected Sheriff, to enforce its laws. Larger groups use organized police militia forces, who often are above the law in their enforcement of it. Due process and fair trials are things of the past; more often than not, justice is fast and deadly, or at least painful. Smaller town police tend to be more willing to listen to both sides of an argument, and will be more likely to throw a criminal out of town rather than jail or execute them, although they often listen to the desires of the townspeople regarding these matters. Members of larger police forces tend to be more corrupt, and can often be bribed. Be warned that bribing police officials can result in greater penalties if unsuccessful. Raiders - Raiders are tribes of people that steal what they need from other communities. They usually do not have villages, but semi-permanent encampments, often in the ruins of small

towns. Children and older members of the community will engage in some smallscale agriculture, but Raiders mostly survive on what they can steal from villages, merchant caravans, and other Raiders. Usually, they prefer to strike and fade quickly, not so much interested in killing but immobilizing and taking what they want before the guards come. Generally considered a nuisance in most areas, but larger "kingdoms" may have sent police after Raiders in their area, eliminating the threat to trade and profit. The Slave Guild - Slavery is a lucrative business in the post-War world. Although many larger pockets of civilization have outlawed slavery, smaller dictators allow the purchase and sale of other human beings. Slavery also happens to be one of the most controlled businesses in the postnuclear world. All slave trade is done through the Slave Guild, a collection of older slavers who decide prices and organize capture hunts. Anyone caught capturing or selling slaves without the blessing of the slave guild is usually executed. Since the Guild holds so much power, it often controls smaller towns were it operates, although from behind the scenes. Members of the Slave Guild have a distinctive tattoo covering most of their face, making them readily identifiable to both friend and foe, allowing the guild to make fast judgments when someone without "the tat" has a tribal up on the auction block. Tribes - Where Raiders are more nomadic, some groups have settled into a simple, agricultural lifestyle, forming small villages. Some of these are little more than tents, others are large communities in ruins of towns. "Tribals" often have sophisticated - and unique - belief systems, and no two tribes are going to be alike. They have managed to find ways to make artifacts from before the War useful. Tribals are not necessarily interested in rebuilding civilization, which many view as the cause of the destruction (if, indeed, they remember pre-War civilization at all), and are wary of larger groups of people and cities. In turn, city dwellers view Tribals as primitive savages. Vaults - Before the War, a company called Vault-Tec built a series of enormous underground facilities for the

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US Government designed to keep people safe from disaster. They financed this project by selling places in the Vaults to people who could afford them. Although they never expected to use the Vaults, many people managed to find their way into them before the bombs hit. Vaults are three-story underground structures deep inside of mountains, where they are shielded from the effects of radiation, disease, and other catastrophes. They were designed to run for as long as necessary to keep people alive, using hydroponics technology and water-recycling. Many stayed sealed for 80 or 100 years. Vaults were equipped with sensor devices to monitor outside conditions, and had computers with vast amounts of pre-War data. In addition, they were well stocked with weapons and other important tools. Vaults were equipped with an item called the G.E.C.K., the Garden of Eden Creation Kit, a device that was designed to help the inhabitants built a new life once it was safe to return aboveground. Some Vaults were destroyed by earthquakes, Raiders, or other disasters, but a few of them managed to survive, technology and people - intact.

a "suburb" called Adytum, controlled by a police force called The Regulators. Some parts of the Boneyard are controlled by deathclaws, an intelligent species of giant mutant lizard. All told, perhaps 30,000 people call the Boneyard home, including a religious sect called the Followers, who live in the ruins of the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. The radioactive ruins of a cathedral constructed by a group called the Children of the Master after the war, a cathedral destroyed by a certain adventurer, lie south of town. In general, radiation levels are low here, except around the cathedral ruins, where it can get quite high. The Boneyard is an official member of the New California Republic, but police have been unsuccessful in stopping gang warfare and deathclaw threats, partially because the population is spread over such a large area. The Glow - East of LA is an area called The Glow. Apparently, this place was important enough to nuke so that people 150 years later wouldn't be able to walk there. Although innocent enough by day, at night The Glow turns into an amazing sight visible for miles. Of course, getting too close to The Glow will cause you to glow too! The Glow is located in the vicinity of the old Edwards Air Force Base, and it is rumored that there was a Vault built somewhere nearby. Radiation levels are at or near Ground Zero (this WAS ground zero!) The Hub - The Hub is a large community of traders, barterers, gamblers, and other interesting scum. Built on the ruins of Barstow, California, in the middle of the Mojave desert, The Hub is a stopoff point for caravans north to Shady Sands and the New California Republic, east to Las Vegas, and south to the Boneyard. At any time there are around 3,000 to 3,500 people in The Hub. Police presence in The Hub isn't strong, and the wide variety of people passing through ensures that there is always something interesting going on. Radiation levels are low in this area. The Hub is a member of the New California Republic. Necropolis - This Greek word meaning "City of the Dead" refers to this strangely silent ghost town. Most of the buildings are intact, but travelers report that no one seems to live there,

Places to Visit

M

ost of the known Fallout universe is in the California - Nevada area. Our little tour begins with the ruins of LA. A full-page version of this map is available in Appendix A.

Los Angeles, or the LA Boneyard - Called the Boneyard because of the skeletal skyscrapers still standing in the ruins of this once huge city, Los Angeles houses gunrunners, gangs, and various people with delusions of grandeur. The largest concentration of people live in

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and people who arrive to settle it either end up with radiation sickness or simply disappear. The truth of the matter involves a large population of ghouls beneath the city's streets. Necropolis is east of the Hub, about halfway between The Hub and Las Vegas. Merchants usually avoid Necropolis altogether, or plan their trips so that they pass it during the daylight hours, as it has a bad reputation. The ghouls are intensely afraid of outsiders, and prefer guerilla tactics to keep their city safe. There may be as many as 5,000 ghouls living beneath Necropolis. There are unsubstantiated rumors that the Master and his minions wiped out the ghoul population, but caravans traveling through the area still avoid Necropolis and tell stories of ghost-like humans in tattered clothes. Radiation levels in Necropolis are higher than the rest of the area, as a bomb exploded at Fort Irwin not far north, and the radiation infected the groundwater. Junktown - Nestled in a Sierra Nevada mountain valley, Junktown is a collection of buildings made by survivalists who flocked to the mountains before the war. The natural air currents and lack of targets left the area relatively unscathed from both bombs and fallout, and life in the mountains continues pretty much as it did before the war, with the exception of zero government infrastructure and no public resources such as water or electricity. Junktown was an attempt to remedy that problem. Instead of the ruins of an old town, Junktown's founder, a man named Killian, thought it would be better to begin from the ground up. Today, Junktown is a relatively quiet place, mostly selling excess food to towns around it. Although Junktown is officially a member of the New California Republic, NCR presence here is minimal at best. The entire town maintains its frontier quality, and gambling, boozing, and prostitution laws are not strictly enforced. About 3,000 people call Junktown home. Radiation levels here are very low. Scrapheap – This tiny community, on the far eastern edge of the New California Republic, is home to about 250 refugees and outcasts. Originally a small survivalist community in the Western Rockies, Scrapheap was infiltrated by gangs from Las Vegas and found that it

had no way to deal with the outside threat to its resources and people. All but abandoned after the brutal gang war, a small community of squatters and rejects has since moved in. Scrapheap has no police force, and isn’t a member of the NCR. The NCR would much rather see this place eradicated than have to deal with people it had already rejected. Radiation levels are low here, and the people of Scrapheap are slightly more trusting of outsiders, simply because they know the agony of constant rejection. They are very wary of the NCR, however, as they expect to be attacked and wiped out at any time. Shady Sands, Capital of the New California Republic - East of the Sierra Nevada, north of Death Valley, Shady Sands stands as a tribute to what people have accomplished since the War. A bustling town of 40,000, Shady Sands was completely built after the War, and made great by the first NCR president, a woman named Tandi. It is a clean, modern city with running water, electricity, a huge, well-armed police force, and a dream of ruling most of the wastes. For details on NCR organization, see above. Shady Sands itself is a walled town, with noncitizens encamped outside, watched closely by NCR guards. Shady Sands is a major trade point for Las Vegas to the east and Redding, Broken Hills, and Vault City to the north. Police in Shady Sands tend to look unfavorably on travelers, especially those who are not citizens of the NCR. There is a flourishing trade in illegal alcohol, drugs, and weapons in Shady Sands, although if a person is caught with such items, justice is usually swift and harsh. Radiation levels are low in and around the city. San Francisco - Old San Francisco is now home to a large population of Asian settlers. Survivors of a nuclear submarine abandoned after the War, the people on board drifted until they landed in San Francisco. They call themselves the Shi, and have managed to keep many of their old traditions and customs, which is more than many American groups can say. Somehow, the city was spared a good deal of destruction, although radiation levels were high for a while. Two clans currently battle for control of San Francisco, and the style of martial arts

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that will reign in the future. The Shi manage to run an extensive weapons trade, offering pieces of technology usually only available to groups like the Brotherhood of Steel. Where they manage to get these items is unknown. There is a population of artists, disenchanted people from various cities, and ex-military personnel that have taken over an old oil tanker still floating in the harbor. They will usually trade expertise for goods, although they prefer to be left alone. The third major group, which does not trade, is a religious community called the Hubologists. They are obsessed with an old space shuttle they found parked at the airport, and are attempting to make it fly again, so they can join their "gods" in the heavens above. The NCR has little influence in San Francisco, and the Shi are quite happy to avoid them while the Hubologists don’t concern themselves with such things. All told, there may be 15,000 people living here. Radiation is low in San Francisco. New Reno - Built on the ruins of "The Biggest Little City in the World," New Reno is a town run by gangsters and drug dealers. Although the New California Republic has been trying hard to convince New Reno to join, the lack of central government and potential loss of profits from the drug trade have prevented them from doing so. Four crime families control New Reno: the Mordinos, the Wrights, the Bishops, and the Salvatores. The Salvatores control the illegal weapons trade, the Mordinos control drugs, the Bishops deal with prostitution and the pornography industry, while the Wrights try to grab whatever is left. Reno is truly a pit of a city, with glitzy neon signs advertising sex, drugs, and rock and roll everywhere. It also serves as a base for the Slavers Guild. Caravans come here to load up on drugs to sell illegally to the NCR and other towns. Without any police at all, Reno exists in a state of near anarchy, although a street-smart person could do very well here, especially if they found work with one of the crime families. Gun shops are well stocked, and several black market shops sell things that you can't find anywhere else. It is rumored that the Salvatores even have a supply of laser or plasma weapons. Around 8,000

people populate the area. Radiation levels in and around New Reno are low. Broken Hills - East of Reno is a town called Broken Hills. Broken Hills is one of the few places that mutants and ghouls are welcome, since it was founded as an experiment in racial tolerance. Broken Hills is a major supplier of uranium, which mutants can mine and handle without worrying about sideeffects. The uranium is then shipped south to Reno, the NCR, and north to Vault City and Gecko to use in power plants. The town was built around the mine by mutants, ghouls, and tolerant humans. It does quite well for itself, and has thusfar resisted the overtures of the NCR, whose taxation and antimutant laws could ruin the fragile balance there. Broken Hills is run by a kindly Sheriff named Marcus, and has an overall friendly quality, although like many small towns there is often much more in Broken Hills than meets the eye. 1,000 mutants, 500 ghouls and 500 humans are permanent residents here. Radiation levels in Broken Hills are normal, except in the mine, where it is slightly radioactive. Redding - North and west of Broken Hills is the mining town of Redding. Redding mines gold for shipment to Reno and the NCR, and the miners are some of the largest consumers of Reno's drugs. The actual town of Redding lies a few miles to the east, but is abandoned. The mining town is a collection of wooden buildings, and can be a wild and wooly place. There is no real police force to speak of, and the mining companies deal with internal disputes. A Sheriff exists, but mainly works as a mediator between different mining companies. Each company has its own mine, and some own various casinos, hotels, and brothels. Redding has also been avoiding the influence of the NCR, although there are elements in town that strongly favor joining, if just to get rid of the rampant drug problem. 2000 people live in Redding, and most of them are miners. Radiation levels in Redding are low. The Den - North and slightly west of Redding is a vile city called The Den. The Den is Reno without the glamour and lights, headquarters for the Slavers Guild and stopping point for caravans heading out to smaller villages to the

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north, in Oregon. There are no police in The Den, and travelers stay here at their own peril. The Den grew up around the remains of a small town, and is a collection of ramshackle buildings and slave pens. There are good people in The Den, but they are few and far between. The Reno crime families hold a good deal of influence here, and control the drug trade in and around The Den. There are around 2000 people living here, not counting the couple hundred slaves. Radiation levels are low in The Den. Modoc - East of The Den, on the way to Vault City, is Modoc. A dwindling collection of survivalists, Modoc is built on the edge of the former Modoc National Forest. For a long time it traded in leather and meat from Brahmin, but as other places were offering the same goods at cheaper rates, and people began herding and raising their own Brahmin, Modoc has been on the decline. It is mostly a sleepy mountain community, with a centrally located Bed and Breakfast for the traveler. Modoc is beginning to change to a trade city, taking its cue as a stopover place for the Vault City trade routes, but the change may not be enough to save it. There are around 2000 people in Modoc, and radiation levels are low here. Vault City - On the eastern side of Nevada's Santa Rosa mountains, butting up against a sturdy mountain peak, Vault City sits as a jewel in the rough of the wastes. Built by a G.E.C.K. from a nearby Vault, Vault City practices a limited form of democracy, although it does not allow anyone who is not a direct descendant of their vaultdwelling citizens to become citizens. Mutants and ghouls are treated with open contempt here. There are walls around Vault City, and another wall on the interior, holding administrative buildings as well as fine apartments and houses. The only ones who can reach this inner area, however, are citizens or their servants slavery is technically illegal in Vault City, although indentured servitude is usually for life. The Vault itself is still open in the inner part of the city, and as a result Vault City enjoys the best medical knowledge and pre-War technology of any group aside from the Brotherhood of Steel and a few others. There are large machine guns on turrets placed all

around the walls of Vault City, and the elite guards even have laser weapons. Outside the walls of the city proper are those who live within Vault City's protection, who abide by the strict laws prohibiting drugs, slavery, prostitution, and gambling. Vault Citizens often take advantage of these people, but to them, the alternatives of the wastes or life as raiders or in an uncertain village are not as attractive as the decent medical attention and protection of Vault City. There are close to 5000 people in Vault City, and another 500 within the walls, excluding a few hundred servants. Vault City has its own police force, and is not interested in joining the NCR - in fact, given half a chance, they would most likely fight the NCR for control of California. Radiation levels in and around Vault City are low. Gecko - Just to the northeast of Vault City is the ghoul dwelling of Gecko. Gecko is a small town built around the old Gecko nuclear power plant, one of the largest suppliers of power to the pre-War American West. Although only one reactor is currently operational, the plant provides more than enough juice to power the entire area. The ghouls like the plant because of the radiation it leaks out, but prefer to keep the power stores to themselves for now. The 5,000 ghouls who call Gecko home are more open than those in Necropolis, and will trade with caravans and allow travellers who don't make trouble to stay in town. There is no ghoul police force, except that nonghouls who break the peace are almost never heard from again. A kind of lendlease agreement between Gecko and some high officials in Vault City led to a sharing of Vault medical technology for a tap into Gecko's power plant, which Vault City desperately needed. Radiation levels in Gecko are normal, except for the power plant and directly around it, where non-ghouls may need a few Rad-Aways to function. Klamath - The old Oregon town of Klamath Falls, now known just as Klamath, is a small community of trappers that hunt the giant, mutant lizards called geckos in the area. Although the geckos resemble the smaller lizards of the same name in pre-War America, these monsters run - quickly - on two legs and have long claws on their stunted forearms as

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well as sharp teeth. A certain species, called the golden gecko, hunts in packs and has even displayed some forms of low-level intelligence. Highly prized for their pelts, geckos and golden geckos are the lifeblood of this small community. Klamath is the stopping point for caravans on their way to the tiny tribal villages to the north, and also serves as a place where members of those tribes can come and exchange information, goods, and news about the larger world. Around 1,000 people live in Klamath, and radiation is not a problem. Las Vegas - Las Vegas still glows, and it probably will forever, thanks to the neon and background radiation. Las Vegas got nuked and nuked badly during the war, but through some strange twist of fate, people managed to survive there. Like New Reno, it is run by a crime syndicate, headed by a man known as Fat Freddy. Freddy controls all of the gambling, drug, and sex trade in the city. Truly, however, Vegas is a shell of its former self, holding barely 5000 people. The inhabited buildings are in a state of disrepair, and signs of further decay are everywhere. The lack of police, NCR influence, and desperate mood of the town make it a haven for travellers, adventurers, and all kinds of vile scum. The Church of the Mushroom Cloud is based here as well. Radiation levels are relatively low throughout the city, although there are pockets of radioactivity here and there. Quartz - On the other side of the Colorado river is the small mining town of Quartz. This village of 2000 is nondescript, but does well for itself selling ores to caravans from the NCR. Not much usually happens here, and travellers are welcome, so long as they have something to trade. There is a lucrative black market here, selling guns to those who do not wish to make the trip east to Darwin City. Police presence is minimal here, and unless a crime is violent, they tend to look the other way. Radiation is not a problem here. Needles - South of Quartz, just over the California border, is Needles. A small town that has big problems, Needles has recently joined the NCR, who is currently attempting to stamp out the gang problem here. With almost no goods to trade, Needles is little more than a

small tribal community, although one that believes in the high ideals of preWar America and sees the NCR as a way of realizing those ideals. Whether or not that will actually happen remains to be seen. About 1000 people call Needles home. There is a toxic waste dump just outside of town that contains a number of radioactive barrels that leak, but otherwise Needles is safe from radiation. Darwin City - Built on the ruins of a top-secret US Army base and scientific research center, Darwin City is now the home of an enormous weapons smuggling operation. Far enough away from the NCR and crime families of Reno and Vegas to operate without their attention, the smugglers usually openly deal in arms for anyone who can make it into town. Darwin City is surrounded on almost all sides by high amounts of radioactivity, and although the town is safe, getting into town can be a problem for anyone not equipped for the operation. Around 500 people live and work here, enjoying the anarchistic atmosphere, but they employ a police force to deal with outsiders. Travellers almost always find themselves breaking some nonexistent law, unless they have come specifically to trade for weapons, and even then they need to prove how they heard about Darwin City. For the career-minded adventurer, Darwin City can be interesting, especially since frequent trips into the Great Wastes are made from here. The Great Wastes - East of Darwin City (actually, Darwin City more or less sits about 50 miles into it), the Great Wastes stretch across Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, North Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Almost nothing lives in this treeless dustbowl, and the area is so dry that nearly nothing could live there. Occasionally, smugglers, caravans, and adventurers will try their hand at a trip into the Great Wastes, but electrical storms, nearly constant dust clouds, unseen radiation pockets, and tornadoes miles wide usually doom these excursions. There are rumors of small villages of Native Americans living in the Great Wastes, attempting to reclaim a lost way of life, but there is no conclusive proof of this so far.

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The Pacific Ocean - West of California is the Pacific Ocean. The once placid waters have turned a light tan color, and shores are littered with debris. Pollution, dust, radioactivity, and chemical spills have all taken their toll, and only when one gets about 50 miles offshore does the Pacific resemble its pre-War self.

as it looks like a worm sticking out of their rear end. They are not openly hostile towards humans unless they are hungry, but packs have been known to attack when they smell blood. Giant rats can be found pretty much anywhere. Giant Rat HP: 10 SQ: 6 AP: 6 XP: 25 CC: 3% AC: 5 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 50% RR: 20% GR: 0/0

Part V: Bestiary

A

Fallout

T
HP SQ AC DR DT AP XP CC PR RR GR = = = = = = = = = = =

hese are samples of some of the creatures you might find prowling around the wastes. GMs are encouraged to make up their own unusual creatures; after all, radiation allows creativity - and DNA - to run wild. All the vital statistics for combat are listed after the critter descriptions. Abbreviations: Hit Points Sequence Armor Class Damage Resistance Damage Threshold Action Points Experience Value Critical Chance Poison Resist Radiation Resist Gas Resist hit, AP cost,

DT 0 0 0 0 0

DR 0 0 0 0 0

Attacks: Claw (75%, 3 AP, D:1d4, none); Bite (70%, 3 AP, D:1d4, Poison Type A). Rad Rat Rats can survive large doses of radioactivity, and in certain areas, have even adapted such that they require the radiation to live. These rats are about 30 centimeters long, are brown or black in color, and will glow slightly in the dark. The main thing to fear in encountering Rad Rats is that they are slightly radioactive, and their little claws can transfer some of that to YOU. Rad Rats are usually found around sources of radioactivity. HP: 10 SQ: 6 AP: 6 XP: 35 CC: 3% AC: 5 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 60% RR: 100% GR: 0/50

Attacks: Type (% to damage, special notes)

Rats
Byfar the most common creatures in the wastes (and I'm not just referring to the New York City subway system), rats and their relatives have done very well for themselves since the bombs dropped. There are plenty of the nasty, black variety around, but radiation changed some of these disease-ridden vermin into fearsome creatures. Giant Rat This is basically a larger version of a rat. Giant rats range in size from about a foot - the size of a cat - to almost a yard (meter) in length. They are covered with brown or black fur, and have black, glassy, beady eyes. Rats are readily identifiable by their tail,

DT 0 0 0 0 0

DR 0 0 0 0 0

Attacks: Claw (75%, successful Bite (70%, successful

3 AP, D:1d4, HIT +10 rads); 3 AP, D:1d4, HIT +10 rads)

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Molerats
Molerats are a mix between moles and rats. No one is sure whether these creatures are the result of a creative union between similar species, or an even stranger union with a little radiation to help things along the way. Molerats range in size anywhere from 30 centimeters to a meter and a half; the largest stand almost a meter at the shoulder. They have mole-like faces and are nearly blind in normal light; for this reason, they are almost exclusively found in caves. Lesser molerats are the smaller version, Greater molerats are the huge, ugly ones. Lesser Molerat HP: 15 SQ: 7 AP: 7 XP: 100 CC: 3% AC: 9 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 50% RR: 25% GR: 0/0

Pigrats
Pigrats are part-pig, part rat hybrids. Like their cousins the molerats, it probably took some creative genetic manipulation to make these critters. Pigrats are large, ranging anywhere from 70 cm to almost 2 meters in length, and incorporate the best (worst?) of the two species. Their legs are overly large, although short, and they are exceptionally meaty around the midsection. In fact, pigrats would make exceptional livestock, if they weren't so dangerous. They are amazingly resilient, and can be found almost anywhere. They travel in packs of ten or more and generally attack only to protect their young or defend their territory. If they are hungry, however, they become very aggressive. Lesser Pigrat HP: 20 SQ: 7 AP: 7 XP: 200 CC: 4% AC: 10 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 50% RR: 30% GR: 0/10

Insects
Giant Cockroaches One of the most numerous and adaptive of all species that evolution spit upon this planet, cockroaches existed on every continent before the War. After the bombs flew, they still managed to hold on to their niche, especially in ruins of cities with lots of dark, dirty areas for them to crawl through. Cockroaches range anywhere from an inch in length to 60 cm, but only the “giant” variety is dangerous. They can be encountered alone, but the most common – and deadly – species travels in clusters of 10-20 individuals. They do not make a habit of attacking humans, but will defend their garbage heaps, and large swarms of these creatures can easily overwhelm a person or a small group. Usually, cockroaches will call off the attack if their target flees. Giant Ants, or GiAnts, are simply overgrown insects. Somewhere along the way, fate saw fit to dump some radioactive material near and anthill and create this large, mutant creature. GiAnts are black ants about 70 centimeters in length. Huge colonies of these creatures exist under the earth, and scouts are often found in caves. GiAnts usually travel in parties of 5 to 10 insects. They will attack humans on sight, and enjoy eating corpses of the dead. HP: 15 SQ: 6 AP: 6 XP: 50 CC: 3% AC: 2 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 100% RR: 60% GR: 60/90

DR 0 0 0 0 0

DT 0 0 0 0 0

Attacks: Mandibles (60%, 3 AP, D:1d6, Poison Type A) Mantis These giant, mutant insects come from the praying mantis, a creature nearly extinct before the War. They have since become a popular sight in the post-War Americas, and are known to devour crops and cattle. On rare occasions, a pack

Aliens
Whether these creatures came from another planet, or are some horrible twisting of genetic material found on earth, is a question left to the scientists. Since scientists are now few and far between, one guess is as good as another as to where these unusual critters originated. All have one thing in common. Somehow, normal weapons like guns and bullets don't seem to hurt them much at all, nor does beating on them with fists or melee weapons. Only fire, laser, and plasma weapons are truly effective against these creatures. Recent evidence seems to suggest that these creatures are, in fact, early products of FEV virus research, but this rumor cannot be verified. Floaters Floaters look a little like a jellyfish, except they are solid and don't have tentacles. Their flesh is a brownish color, and is moist and firm to the touch. They have a stalk coming out of what is presumably the front of their body, although there is no discernable eye or sense orifice on their bodies. At the end of the stalk is a flat, dinner plate shaped area inlaid with nasty spikes and spines. Adventurers who have tangled with floaters report that the stalk will turn and follow them around, even in areas of almost total darkness. Floaters are usually around a meter and a half in length, and are narrower than they are round (presuming that the sensory stalk is actually the front of the creature). They float

Brahmin
After the War, most kinds of life from pre-War America were changed into almost unrecognizable forms. Cows managed to escape that fate, for the most part, except that only a very hardy breed survived (or a cross between several hardier breeds). Brahmin are the main source of beef and leather in the wastes, and they can be found almost everywhere, although they are usually in enclosures. Some areas have vast Brahmin ranches, rivaling the huge Texas ranches of pre-War times. Brahmin are also used as pack animals, hauling wagons for caravans. They are hardy animals and can survive on very little food. They are tolerant of extreme environmental conditions, weathering the scathing heat of a summer's day as well as the bitter cold of the desert winter nights. Brahmin are easily distinguishable by their two heads, although rumors of herds of one-headed Brahmin far in the east occasionally make their rounds. Most people don't subscribe to that hogwash, however. Brahmin are almost always docile unless attacked directly; then, the herd will attempt to defend themselves.

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anywhere from a half a meter to two meters off of the ground. Floaters seem to like dank, moist, dark places and are often found in caves. Floaters seem to attack indiscriminately, although it is unclear whether they attack for food, defense, or something more sinister. Floaters attack by hitting things with their stalk, allowing the hundreds of spines to tear through flesh and armor. They travel, with crawlers, in pods of around ten individuals. HP: 60 SQ: 9 AP: 9 XP: 500 CC: 8% AC: 20 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 80% RR: 80% GR: 100/90

Attacks: Stalk (90%, 3 AP, D:3d8, none) DR 10 1 5 1 10 DT 95% 10% 40% 10% 90% Flailers Flailers were the first form of "alien" life encountered, and are probably the most common. Flailers are bipeds - that is, they have two legs - and stand about two meters tall. Their skin is also moist, firm, and either brown or gray. Their legs are large and strong, but taper into flat, tentacle-like feet upon which the flailer walks. Its "arms" are similar flat tentacles, each covered with tiny spines and spikes that the flailer whips at opponents. It has a head-knob coming out of its body, but no eyes. Set near the bottom of the headknob is a mouth filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth. Flailers travel in groups of eight or more and show high intelligence, attacking with advanced tactics. It is unclear how intelligent these creatures are, or to what extent they are native to this planet. HP: 60 SQ: 9 AP: 9 XP: 750 CC: 8% AC: 25 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 95% RR: 100% GR: 100/100

Attacks: Stalk (80%, 3 AP, D:3d4, none) Crawlers Crawlers are much like floaters, preferring the same habitats and showing many of the same behavioral characteristics. Instead of floating, however, their body lies on the ground. It gushes a slimelike trail, not unlike a snail. The stalk of a crawler is longer, stronger, and thicker than a floater's stalk, and it uses the flat plate-like end not only to attack other creatures, but to propel itself along the ground. Crawlers are more rare than floaters, and are often only found one or two at a time in a pack of floaters. Some have suggested that crawlers may be the female form of the floater species, but there is nothing to confirm or deny this.

Centaurs Centaurs are an entirely different animal. There are rumors that someone with access to an old government breeding lab made these twisted creatures by mixing human and "alien" DNA together. Centaurs are light orange with brown patches, and resemble a human torso laying face- down. They propel themselves on their six legs, each of which resembles a human arm with stunted fingers. Where the shoulders would normally be, the torso extends upwards almost the full length of another torso, ending in a head that was obviously once human. Centaurs are usually bald, and one look at their face indicates that the only thing they share with humans is the same basic appearance. Their eyes are dull and glazed, and mouths often hang open drooling. They attack either by biting or beating the target with their front two legs. Centaurs are very rare, and can usually be found in packs of five or six deep inside caves or other underground places. They don't always attack, and will sometimes observe adventurers. If they perceive something as a threat, however, they will singlemindedly attack it until it dies. HP: 60 SQ: 9 AP: 9 XP: 750 CC: 8% AC: 25 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 50% RR: 80% GR: 40/70

almost 15 cm long. Radscorpion tails are considered valuable, since the powerful Antidote is made from a distilled version of the venom inside the sacs. Radscorpions can be encountered in groups of up to 8, or alone. They prefer shady areas, and can often be found in canyons or caves. Radscorpions are rarely encountered in the open desert, or in areas of high vegetation. Lesser Radscorpion HP: 25 SQ: 8 AP: 8 XP: 200 CC: 4% AC: 7 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 100% RR: 25% GR: 30/100

Radscorpions
Another common denizen of the western desert was the scorpion. This species got a second lease on life when radiation from the War allowed it to grow to gargantuan proportions. Radscorpions range in size from 50 cm to 2 meters in length, and range in color from pale white to brown and black. Their wicked tails contain sacs of venom, and are tipped with a stinger

Attacks: Tail (80%, 4 AP, D:1d12, Poison Type D)

Wolves
Suprisingly, wolves managed to survive the War, and even thrive in the postnuclear environment. In addition to the normal "Canis lupis" variety of Grey Wolf, huge dire wolves have returned to North America. Domesticated dogs, which are more resistant to radiation than your average human, "turned feral" after

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the bombs hit, and packs of them now roam the wastes. In addition, there are a few domesticated pooches still out there, and coyotes still make trouble for domesticated animals like chickens. Wolves (Grey Wolves) Grey wolves can be either white, gray, black, or any mix between these. They sand about 120 to 160 cm tall at the shoulder, and have a distinctive call. They are highly social animals, and the pack is based around a lead male, called the "alpha." The entire pack, except for pregnant and nursing females, hunts, often using highly refined tactics to take down prey. Wolf packs are territorial, and normally do not stray into each other's territory. When they feel that their turf is threatened by anything - wolves, other animals, or humans - they will attack. Contrary to popular belief, wolves avoid humans and their livestock, and will only attack when there is no other source of food. There can be anywhere from five to twenty-five wolves in a pack. HP: 20 SQ: 6 AP: 6 XP: 100 CC: 5% AC: 5 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 25% RR: 15% GR: 0/0

settlements, they can and will attack smaller, undefended towns, carrying off children or small adults. Dire wolves stand almost 2 meters at the shoulder, and except for their size, look much like their smaller cousins, the Grey Wolf. They run in packs of 5 to 25 individuals. HP: 60 SQ: 9 AP: 9 XP: 700 CC: 7% AC: 9 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 40% RR: 20% GR: 0/0

DR 5 0 0 0 0

DT 40% 0 0 0 0

Attacks: Bite (90%, 3 AP, D:3d6, none) Claw (80%, 4 AP, D:2d8, roll against EN to avoid knockdown). Coyotes Smaller than wolves, with a higher howl, coyotes are loners rather than social animals, scavengers rather than hunters. Coyotes aren't nearly as common as they used to be, partially because they ran out of food when livestock herds drastically diminished, partially because wolf packs found that coyotes made good meals. Coyotes barely stand 1 meter at the shoulder, and are often yellow, tan, or brown in color. They are mostly found in deserts and mountains, or any area where they have some kind of cover, such as trees. Unless mating, coyotes are almost always alone, and won't attack humans unless cornered and provoked. They will, however, attempt to take down livestock, if they think it is an easy catch.

DR 0 0 0 0 0

DT 0 0 0 0 0

Attacks: Bite (80%, 3 AP, D:2d6, none) Claw (70%, 4 AP, D:1d8, none) Dire Wolves Dire wolves are a huge member of the wolf family, thought to be extinct since the last ice age. It is unclear whether radiation created a similar creature, or holdovers from the far north made their way south during the nuclear winters, but dire wolf packs are some of the most feared creatures in the wastes. Although they are extremely rare, they have been known to take down entire caravans, armed guards and all. Dire wolves hunt mainly for meat, and although they avoid large human

Dog Who wouldn't want a large, slobbering, smelly beast as a companion? They are intensely loyal and love you unconditionally, and can do many useful things like fetching items from radioactive areas and leading blind people around. Dogs can be found anywhere there are humans. They come in all sizes and colors, and will not attack anyone unless they perceive that person as a threat to their house, territory, or master. HP: 20 SQ: 6 AP: 6 XP: 100 CC: 3% AC: 5 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 18% RR: 8% GR: 0/0

DR 0 0 0 0 0

DT 0 0 0 0 0

Attacks: Bite (70%, 3 AP, D:1d8, none) Feral Dogs Man's best friend was blessed with a resistance to radiation that his master did not have. When billions were dropping dead from fallout, millions of canines were wondering where their next can of dog food was going to come from. Inevitably, some escaped their houses and backyards, forming groups not unlike wolf packs. Today, these bands of dogs have become feral, interbreeding with each other and living without the humans that supplied them with chow and loved them for eons. A feral dog pack operates much like a wolf pack, with a single "alpha" male leader and anywhere from 5 to 25 members. Feral dogs tend to be smaller than wolves, and come in almost any color and shape that normal mutts do. They live anywhere, and although they avoid humans for the most part, feral dogs can usually be found closer to cities and towns than wolves and coyotes. Feral dogs will not attack humans unless starving or provoked. HP: 20 SQ: 6 AP: 6 XP: 100 CC: 4% AC: 3 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 20% RR: 10% GR: 0/0

Deathclaws
Originally thought to be mindless monsters, deathclaws are actually an intelligent, upright walking, mutated lizard. They stand almost 275 cm tall, and have large arms that end in wickedly sharp claws that give the creatures their name. Their skin is reptilian and ranges in color from light brown to almost black. Deathclaws have their own language and some have even learned to imitate human speech in order to communicate with people, although this is more like a parrot's reproduction rather than actually "speaking." Deathclaws have been known to don large cloaks and walk among humans, passing for mutants or half-mutants, in order to learn about our society. There doesn't seem to be any large structure to the deathclaw world, and they prefer to live in small tribes of 20 to 200. Deathclaws almost always travel in groups of 10 or more, unless they are scouts, and then they always travel in pairs. Deathclaws will not immediately attack humans, but many of them have grown to mistrust people, and rightly

DR 0 0 0 0 0

DT 0 0 0 0 0

Attacks: Bite (70%, 3 AP, D:1d8, none)

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so, since it wasn't even clear that deathclaws were intelligent until recently, and many humans still view them as monsters, if they are aware of the deathclaw's true nature at all. Deathclaws HP: 70 SQ: 10 AP: 10 XP: 800 CC: 9% AC: 25 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 80% RR: 60% GR: 0/40

Geckos
A mutation of the smaller pre-War lizard, Geckos are large desert-dwelling reptiles that walk on their hind legs and attack with their front, which have developed sharp claws for tearing. Highly prized for their strong pelts, Geckos are routinely hunted in some places, although a pack of them can easily kill one or two inexperienced hunters. Geckos stand about 150 cm tall, and the larger, more dangerous Golden Gecko is about 180 cm tall. They travel in packs of anywhere from 4 to 20 animals. Gecko HP: 30 SQ: 7 AP: 7 XP: 150 CC: 2% AC: 5 Normal: Laser: Fire: Plasma: Explosion: PR: 80% RR: 75% GR: 0/10

Attacks: Claw (90%, 3 AP, D:3d8, none)

Spitting Plant
Not exactly Seymour, but this species of plant is certainly a nasty customer. It grows almost anywhere, but is usually found among other plants so it can blend in and ambush its prey. It stands about 2 meters tall and has a "flower" like a Venus flytrap, a plant which it probably mutated from. When it senses movement and heat, it will "shoot" a sharp thorn from its "flower." When it senses that the creature it shot at is no longer moving, it will then proceed to "eat" the unlucky creature with its flower. Although this sounds humorous, meeting five or six of these plants is no laughing matter. They usually grow together, as several are always more dangerous than one, and at least one of them is guaranteed a meal. Spitting plants attack anything that is warm and moves. Note that spitting plants cannot move - they are, literally, planted. Their spikes do 1d6 points of damage and have an effective range of 8 meters.

he trade value of each item is given, along with all appropriate information for weapons, ammunition, and armor. The weapons are broken down by skill required, and then by type of weapon. Note that guns do damage based on the type of ammunition being used, and the gun itself may give a bonus to that damage.

his skill covers the good oldfashioned method of beating people up with your bare fists, and weapons that compliment this method. Fists and Feet Value: N/A Unless your character is missing a limb or two, they have these weapons with them at all times. The most basic of weapons. Min. ST: 1 W: N/A Dmg: 1d4 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A

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Brass Knuckles Value: 40 A device that fits around the knuckles of a fighter, making punches hurt a lot more. It distributes the force of the blow evenly over the puncher’s hand, allowing them to avoid breaking their fingers. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb Dmg: 1d10 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Tiger Claw Value: 75 A glove that fits over a portion of the knuckles and fingers, concealing sharp “claws” in the palm. A simple weapon, often used for ritualistic tribal combat rather than serious fighting. Assassins like to dip tiger claws in poison to make an easily concealable – and deadly – weapon. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb Dmg: 1d2 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Sapper Value: 80 Essentially a normal glove with weights attached, the sapper is designed to help you hit harder. Like a melee sap (see below), the primary use of this weapon is to knock an opponent unconscious from a sneaky blow to the head. Head shots with this glove have a 75% chance of knocking the target unconscious for 1d10 rounds. Min. ST: 3 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: 1d6 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Shredders Value: 90 Shredders are gloves that have small, sharp claws attached to the fingers, allowing the user to scratch an opponent. Not very useful as a melee weapon, but coated with the right kind of poison, shredders can be extremely dangerous. Min. ST: 1 W: 2 lbs. Dmg: 1d4 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A

Punch Dagger Value: 300 The punch dagger certainly isn’t a subtle weapon; it is a large, serrated combat knife attached to a glove, combining the force of a punch with the tearing action of a toothed blade. Expect to get kicked out of the boxing ring for using this unorthodox piece of equipment. Min. ST: 1 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: (1d10+2) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T:4 B: N/A Punch Gun Value: 600 This unusual weapon is a glove with a trigger in the thumb, allowing the user to fire a single shotgun shell at the same time a punch is thrown. The damage from the shotgun ammo is added to the effects of the punch and melee damage. Although they are somewhat awkward, as the must be reloaded after every use, an enterprising individual could do quite well with one of these tools during a surprise attack. The punch gun holds 1 shotgun shell. Note that the incredibly short barrel on the gun renders this weapon ineffective at all but the closest ranges. Min. ST: 2 W: 7 lbs. Dmg: (1d4 + Ammo) + MD) Rng: 1 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Impact Glove Value: 900 A Brotherhood of Steel invention, the impact glove uses a unique piston device similar to ones used by the much more powerful Big Frigger line of power fists. The difference is that the impact glove uses a smaller energy cell that does not need to be recharged, and is significantly less powerful. It is still a decent weapon, and can enhance anyone’s hand-to-hand fighting experience. Min. ST: 1 w: 9 lbs. Dmg: (1d10+8) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A

Adamantine Claws Value: 1000 Named not because they are made from a mystical alloy, but because they resemble the claws of a 20th Century comic-book character, these gloves feature extendible blades that are designed to slash and disembowel even the strongest critters. The user can control the claws’ action through a trigger in the glove. Min. ST: 2 W: 3 lbs Dmg: (1d10+5) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Power Fist Value: 1800 The "Big Frigger" Power Fist from BeatCo. Considered by many to be the ultimate weapon to use in unarmed combat. A Power Fist is a metal glove that fits over the hand and uses small motors to enhance the power of a punch. It holds 25 charges, and uses Small Energy Cells to recharge. The glove will “sense” when the user throws a punch and automatically adjusts for greater damage, using energy even if the punch doesn’t connect. Min. ST: 1 W: 10 lbs. Dmg: (2d8+10) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Mega Power Fist Value: 2200 A more powerful version of the "Big Frigger." This one has upgraded power servos for increased strength. The Mega Power Fist holds 25 charges of Small Energy Cells. Like the smaller version, it uses a charge every time a punch is thrown, even if it doesn’t connect. Min. ST: 1 W: 10 lbs. Dmg: (3d10+20) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A

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Melee Skill Weapons

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hese weapons are held in the hand and make contact with whatever their user is trying to damage.

Sharpened Pole Value: 5 A basic piece of wood with a sharpened end, about 2 meters long. See also Throwing Weapons. Min. ST: 3 W: 3 lbs. Dmg: (1d4+1) + MD Rng: 2 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Metal Pipe Value: 10 Either iron or lead, this old section of plumbing makes a fine tool for breaking bones and beating heads. Although heavy and somewhat awkward, a piece of pipe hurts just as badly as a club. Colonel Mustard agrees. Min. ST: 5 W: 10 lbs. Dmg: 1d10 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 5 T: 5 B: N/A Wooden Club Value: 10 Humans have used these tools to kill prey and bash each other since we came down from the trees. It is nothing more than a stick with some sharp points on it, or maybe a rusty nail or two driven through it to cause more pain and suffering to anyone unlucky enough to get hit with it. Chair legs, wooden sticks, pool cues, and other wooden implements that might be lying around can easily be substituted as a club in a pinch. Min. ST: 3 W: 5 lbs. Dmg: 1d8 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Club Value: 30 A police-issue club used for subduing criminals, or making sure they never commit a crime again. This weapon is about 70 cm long and made out of a rod of metal, with a handle perpendicular to the shaft, allowing the vibrations from contact to diffuse before they travel up the user’s arm. A relatively easy weapon to make from pieces of scrap metal. Min. ST: 3 W: 3 lbs. Dmg: 1d10 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Shovel Value: 30 Can you dig this, daddy-o? Min. ST: 5 W: 15 lbs. Dmg: 1d12 + MD Rng: 2 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A

There

Sap Value: 1 A sap is a simple weapon designed to knock someone unconscious. It is usually just a rock or some packed sand inside of an old tube of cloth, like a sock. Saps do not actually damage a target, and are only effective when targeting someone’s head (treat this as a targeted shot to the eyes). A successful hit causes the target to lose consciousness for 1d10 rounds. Min ST: 5 W: 1 lb. Dmg: None Rng: 1 AP S: N/A T: 5 B: N/A Shiv Value: 2 A homemade knife that resembles an ice pick. A shiv is undetectable if your character is holding it; however, it does not get a bonus for melee damage. Shivs can be constructed from the simplest of materials, are often used as basic assassination weapons, as they can be jabbed into an ear of an unsuspecting target to cause nearly instant death. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb Dmg: 1d4 Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Broken Bottle Value: 2 The weapon of choice for barfights, broken bottles will do in a pinch when the bouncer took your guns and you just took some large raider’s girlfriend. Contrary to popular belief, smashing a bottle on the bar to break it won’t give you a handy weapon. Instead, it’ll tear holes in your hand. You’ll just have to pick one of these up off the floor. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb. Dmg: 1d6 + MD AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A

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Knife Value: 40 A basic knife for cutting things. Or critters. Or people. See also Throwing Weapons. Knives are about 15-25 cm long. The best are made from metal alloys; the most primitive are carved from pieces of rock such as flint. Min. ST: 2 W: 1 lb. Dmg 1d10 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Claw Hammer Value: 40 Either way you use this tool, it’s bound to cause some pain and damage. Also useful for non-combative purposes. Min. ST: 2 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: 1d10 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Ax Value: 45 This is a basic hatchet. Good for breaking down wooden doors, or sinking into that nuke pooch. Another common weapon that can be constructed from a piece of wood and any hunk of sharp metal or rock, axes are anywhere from 30 cm to 90 cm in length. Min. ST: 3 W: 2 lbs. Dmg: 1d8+MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Switchblade Value: 50 The blade of this small knife is held by a spring. When a button on the handle is pressed, the blade shoots out with a satisfying "Sssshk" sound. Constructing one of these takes some skill with both metalworking and machinery, and they are usually found in the possession of gangs in larger cities. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb. Dmg: 1d6 + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Wrench Value: 65 This is probably far more useful for repairing things, unless you are Col. Mustard and happen to be standing in the Dining Room. Wrenches are pieces of solid metal that can double as clubs. The wrenches that are effective in combat are anywhere from 40 to 80 cm in length. See also Equipment. Min. ST: 3 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: (1d6+2) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A

Crowbar Value: 65 A very solid and heavy piece of metal specially designed to exert leverage - or pound heads. Crowbars are fashioned from a piece of solid metal, twisted so that the user can exert force on an object and pry it upwards. They are usually about 35 cm in length. Min. ST: 5 W: 5 lbs. Dmg: (1d12+3) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Spear Value: 80 Your basic polearm. A wooden pole with a sharpened piece of metal on the end. See also Throwing Weapons. Spears are simple weapons to construct, being a long (2 meter) wooden pole with some kind of metal or stone head tied to one end. Min. ST: 4 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: (1d12+3) + MD Rng: 2 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Machete Value: 100 Hack your way through all manner of flora and fauna with this handy gardening implement. The weapon of choice for the intrepid jungle explorer, or the novice backyard weedwhacker. Min. ST: 4 W: 1 lb. Dmg: (1d10+7) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Butcher’s Cleaver Value: 110 This kitchen implement was specifically designed and balanced to ease the task of cutting meat off of living or dead creatures. Made of a rust-resistant graphite compound, this weapon stays sharp longer and hacks harder than the common knife. Min. ST: 4 W: 1 lbs. Dmg: (1d8+10) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A

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Sledgehammer Value: 120 A pole with a heavy metal chunk on the end, designed to crumble bones and damage vital organs. Sledgehammers are about 70 cm long, and require two hands to use properly.. Min. ST: 6 W: 12 lbs. Dmg: 3d4 + MD Rng: 2 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Scalpel Value: 140 The standard instrument for performing surgeries, this surgical-stainless steel knife is small but incredibly sharp. Not the best tool for a melee fight, but it will do in a pinch. See also Equipment. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb. Dmg: (1d8+3) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Combat Knife Value: 165 A military-issued knife designed for melee combat. The serrated edges tend to tear instead of cut, and wounds from this blade are a lot more painful than normal knife wounds. See also Throwing Weapons. Combat knives were constructed from a carbon-based compound instead of a metal, making them more durable, less prone to dulling, and lighter than a normal knife. They are usually 15 to 25 cm long. Min. ST: 2 W: 2 lbs. Dmg: (1d12+3) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Wakizashi Blade Value: 200 A futuristic RPG would not be complete without the Yakuza (Japanese mafia) and the Fallout universe is no exception. In fact, the only way a nonYakuza member will get one of these swords is to take it off the body of a Yakuza. The Wakizashi looks like a smaller Katana. Because these blades are so difficult to make, it is highly doubtful that anyone makes these weapons in the wastes, and they are most likely tourist-store ripoffs from pre-War times. Of course, there are always exceptions. The Wakizashi is about 60 cm long, and slightly curved. Min ST: 2 W: 2 lbs. Dmg: (1d12+4) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A

Louisville Slugger Value: 300 This all-American, hardwood baseball bat will knock anything right out of the park. A true classic. Don’t settle for aluminum ripoffs. Min. ST: 4 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: 2d10+ MD Rng: 1 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Micro Sledgehammer Value: 500 A Brotherhood of Steel specialty, the Micro Sledgehammer is the dream of any child who ever wanted to misuse a croquet mallet. Originally designed to make construction more efficient, the Brotherhood’s piston technology means this small sledge hits with maximum effect. Min. ST: 4 W: 8 lbs. Dmg: (1d12+8) + MD Rng: 1 AP: S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Cattle Prod Value: 600 Since this weapon is designed to knock a cow unconscious, imagine what it can do to a human. The cattle prod looks a little like an overgrown tuning fork, except that an arc of electricity passes between the prongs on the end whenever the user presses the button. Any biological critter hit with a cattle prod has a 50% chance of being knocked unconscious. Each time an attack is made, successful or not, the Prod uses one charge. The Cattle Prod holds 25 charges of Small Energy Cell. Min. ST: 4 W: 5 lbs. Dmg: (2d6+10) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Ripper Value: 1000 Basically a knife-sized chainsaw, without the noisy motor. Rippers were common among gangs and thugs before the war, and are common among criminals and lowlifes after the war. It's called a ripper for a reason; it tears flesh and organs to pieces. Every time an attack is made, successful or not, the Ripper uses one charge. The Ripper holds 25 charges of Small Energy Cell. Min. ST: 4 W: 5 lbs. Dmg: (1d10+15) + MD Rng: 1 S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A

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Super Cattle Prod Value: 1800 An upgraded cattle prod. Any biological critter hit with this tool has a 75% chance of being knocked unconscious. The Super Cattle Prod requires two hands to use. Every time an attack is made, regardless of the attack’s success, the Super Prod uses one charge. This weapon holds 25 charges of Small Energy Cell. Min. ST: 4 W: 5 lbs Dmg: (2d8+20) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Deco-Filament Value: 2000 The deco-filament is an unusual weapon favored by assassins and Yakuza. It is a razor-sharp, super thin, extra-strong wire strung between two handles. The user can then whip the wire at a target, lopping off flesh and limbs. It can be used as a garrote to cleanly lop a head from a neck. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb. Dmg: (4d10) + MD Rng: 2 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Chainsaw Value: 3000 A leftover from the pre-War days, a chainsaw is probably the ultimate melee weapon. Although it runs on gasoline, surely there must be a tank or two of ethanol left in the wastes somewhere. A character could graft one of these to an arm for some added fun. Min. ST: 4 W: 10 lbs. Dmg (3d10+20) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A Proton Ax Value: 3500 The proton ax is a nasty little tool. A doublebladed ax, much like what Gimli the Dwarf would be wielding, covered with depleted Uranium, allowing it to pass through almost anything. Proton Axes are made exclusively by the Guardians, and are very rare. They are about 150 cm from handle to tip and the axhead is 50 cm long and almost 80 cm across. Min. ST: 5 W: 15 lbs. Dmg: (3d10+10) + MD Rng: 1 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A

Super Sledgehammer Value: 3750 The Super Sledgehammer is manufactured exclusively by the Brotherhood of Steel using the finest weapons technology available. At first glance, this nifty little tool is indistinguishable from a regular sledgehammer, except for the small bundle of machinery at the base of the head. It includes a kinetic energy storage device to increase knock back. The Super Sledge is a two-handed weapon. Min. ST: 5 W: 12 lbs Dmg: (3d10+15) + MD Rng: 2 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A

Small Guns Skill Weapons
Primitive Missile Weapons

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ne of the oldest “firearms” is the bow. Traces of these weapons have been found among excavations of the most primitive settlements, and Neanderthals used them over 30,000 years ago. The bow family of weapons is suddenly very popular in a world where they are easy to make and are better than a knife or sharpened stick. Bows all require two hands to use. Other kinds of primitive missile weapons are popular among tribals again as well, as they are far easier to construct and maintain than 100-year-old firearms. Sling Value: 20 Not a bow, but a similar ancient weapon, slings have been around almost as long. A leather pouch attached to some long leather cords, slings are designed to hurl rocks farther and more accurately than one can do by hand. The user spins the sling around in the air, gathering momentum, and then flicks his or her wrist to release the rock at the target. Note that slings do not require two hands to use. Single shot only. Slings hold one rock. Min. ST: 5 W: 2 lbs. Dmg: 1d10 Rng: 10 S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A

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Blowgun Value: 30 A blowgun is a hollow tube that the user blows a strong burst of air through, launching a small, feathered dart at an enemy. They can be made from anything hollow, including old metal pipes, reeds, and drinking straws. The darts that a blowgun fires don’t do an extraordinary amount of damage, but many are coated with poisons. A favorite weapon of assassins, since it makes very little noise. A blowgun holds 1 blowgun dart. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb. Dmg: +0 Rng: 20 AP A: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Wooden Bow Value: 50 Made from a cut piece of wood, bent into a “C” shape, with a length of string or animal sinew stretched between the ends to provide tension, bows are some of the simplest ranged weapons to construct. They can be unwieldy, however, and can hurt the inexperienced user. Single shot only. Bows hold one arrow. Min. ST: 5 W: 2 lbs. DMG: +3 Rng: 40 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Wooden Crossbow Value: 300 Crossbows were part of every army on earth from their invention in the late middle ages until the First World War. After that, they became popular hunting weapons. Crossbows are wooden bows laid across a plank or flat surface, or even the stock of a rifle. They have a wheel that winds the string tight, and a trigger mechanism that releases tension on the string, shooting the bolt at high velocity. Because the tension on the string is no longer limited by human strength, crossbows can shoot projectiles much farther, and with a far greater degree of accuracy, than a bow. Single shot only. Crossbows hold one bolt. Min. ST: 4 W: 10 lbs. DMG: +4 Rng: 50 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A

he smallest of the Small Arms weapons, pistols are generally hand-held, low damage weapons.

Colt 6520 10mm Pistol Value: 250 An outloading pistol, each pull of the trigger will automatically reload the firearm until the magazine is empty. One of the simplest and most inexpensive semiautomatics available. Single shot only. The clip holds 12 shots of 10mm ammunition. Min. ST: 3 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: +6 Rng: 19 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Zip Gun Value: 275 The zip gun is a single-shot, handmade pistol. Crafted from spare parts, zip guns are rather unreliable and shoot almost any kind of handgun ammunition. They have a very small range, and are prone to jamming and breaking easily. The chamber holds 1 shot of either .22, 9mm, or .45 caliber ammunition, depending on the gun. Min. ST: 3 W: 5 lbs. Dmg: +4 Rng: 15 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A

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.22 Pistol Value: 300 Produced in the 20th Century as an inexpensive solution to gun ownership, the tiny .22 pistol fires the relatively small .22 caliber slug. These guns simply don’t have the stopping power of larger pistols, and a shot from one is more likely to upset the target than cause massive amounts of damage. Single shot only. The clip holds 10 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Min. ST: 3 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: +4 Rng: 12 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A .38 Special Snubnose Revolver Value: 375 The .38 Special was the longtime favorite of police forces until the advent of newer automatic weapons. It has existed in one form or another since the early 20th century, and although different companies manufactured it, the .38 Special is one of the most universal guns available. The short barrel length makes it ineffective except for very close range combat. Single shot only. The revolver chamber holds six shots of .38 caliber ammunition. Min. ST: 3 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: +7 Rng: 10 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A VP91Z (M9-FS) 9mm Beretta Pistol Value: 400 A good semiautomatic pistol for hunting wabbits and other things. The VP91Z was a standard-issue military sidearm, and is one of the two guns issued to Desert Rangers. Single shot only. The clip holds 18 shots of 9mm ammunition. Min. ST: 3 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: +6 Rng: 17 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Colt .45 M1911A1 Pistol Value: 425 The M1911A1 was a popular military sidearm before the War. Not a unique pistol, but a powerful one. The M1911A1 is the other standard-issue Desert Ranger weapon. Single shot only. The clip holds 7 shots of .45 caliber ammunition. Min. ST: 3 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: +7 Rng: 17 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A

.357 Magnum Revolver Value: 450 Although not as powerful as its big brother, the .357 sports a longer barrel and is therefore more accurate at longer ranges. One of the oldest revolvers, Smith and Wesson made the first .357 Magnums in the late 1800s, although the name “Magnum” (Latin for “Big”) was around for at least 10 years before. Single shot only. The revolver chamber holds 6 shots of .357 caliber Magnum ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 6 lbs Dmg: +8 Rng: 19 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Casull Revolver Value: 500 This variation on the .44 magnum packs a little less punch, but is also a little more affordable. These guns were fairly rare before the War. Single shot only. The revolver chamber holds 6 shots of .44 magnum ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 6 lbs. Dmg: +7 Rng: 6 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A .44 Magnum Revolver Value: 600 Being that this is the most powerful handgun in the world, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do 'ya, punk? Single shot only. The revolver chamber holds 6 shots of .44 Magnum ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 6 lbs. Dmg: +11 Rng: 6 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Browning HP Pistol Value: 700 The Belgian-made Browning high-powered pistol became a popular handgun in North America in the early part of the 21st century. Single shot only. The Browning HP uses .45 ammunition, and the clip holds 12 rounds. Min. ST: 4 W: 6 lbs. Dmg: +9 Rng: 20 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A

9mm Mauser Value: 1500 The Mauser is an oldie but goodie, the favorite handgun of outlaws and gangster bosses. This weapon does not use the traditional 9mm ammunition, but instead fires nasty 9mm balls. Single shot only. The magazine holds 8 shots of 9mm Ball ammunition. Min. ST: 3 W: 5 lbs Dmg: +4 Rng: 17 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Needler Pistol Value: 2200 One of the most interesting pieces of prewar tech, the Needler pistol actually fires small hypodermic needles into the target, which inject a serum that causes a severe reaction in the surrounding skin. Of course, there may very well be slugs that inject all sorts of other nasty things out there. Single shot only. The chamber holds 8 shots of HN Needler ammunition. Min. ST: 3 W: 5 lbs. Dmg: +0 Rng: 24 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Walther PPK Value: 3000 The weapon of a true spy. The Walther PPK (Polizei Pistolen Kriminal) was originally made for plainclothes and undercover police officers. It since became the favorite weapon of spies. The PPK is most effective with a silencer. Single shot only. The magazine holds 8 shots of 7.65mm ammunition. Min. ST: 2 W: 4 lbs. Dmg: +8 Rng: 20 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A

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Flamer Pistol Value: 3000 The Flambe 450 was an interesting but slightly misconceived weapon. Attempting to make a portable flamethrower, the designer of this unique piece of equipment failed to take into account that flamers need the propelling power that larger models provide. Single shot only. The Flambe 450 has a small chamber that holds 3 “shots” of flamethrower fuel. The Flamer Pistol cannot be targeted. Min. ST: 4 W: 10 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: 3 AP S: 4 T: N/A B: N/A Scorpio VZ61 Machine Pistol Value: 3300 Although relatively ineffectual as a sub machinegun, the Scorpio VZ61 nonetheless enjoys a place among assassins and gangsters who find that its small size and concealability makes up for its lack of power, range, and magazine. Fires single shot or a 3-round burst. The magazine holds 20 shots of 9mm ammunition. Min. ST: 4 W: 6 lbs. Dmg: +5 Rng: 15 AP S: 5 T: 5 B: 6 .223 Pistol Value: 3500 This pistol began its days as a .223 rifle and has since been modified. These are rather unique, and are made with love and skill. Single shot only. The magazine holds 5 shots of .223 caliber ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 7 lbs. Dmg: +20 Rng: 30 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A M-78 Grenade Launcher Value: 5000 A heavily modified flare gun, the M-78 grenade pistol is the only small arms skill weapon that can lob an explosive. Its range isn’t all that great, but in the hands of a cyborg, it could certainly blow open a few doors. The chamber holds 1 40mm grenade. Min. ST: 6 W: 8 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: 12 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A

PPK-12 Gauss Pistol Value: 5250 Praised for its range and stopping power, the PPK-12 Gauss Pistol is of German design. This "Lil' Railgun" uses an electromagnetic field to propel slugs at tremendous speed and power through a target, any armor, and just about everything else. The PPK-12 looks like a normal automatic pistol, except for the unusual electromagnetic fins along the barrel. When fired, the Gauss Pistol leaves an unmistakable spiral trail of ionized particles through the air. Single shot only. The magazine holds 12 shots of 2mm EC. Min. ST: 4 W: 5 Dmg: +22 Rng: 30 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Shotguns

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hotguns use 12-guage ammunition and usually fire buckshot as opposed to a single bullet. They hurt a lot. They look a bit like rifles, and often take two hands to fire correctly. Shotguns fire either buckshot or slugs; buckshot is a shell full of little metal balls that isn’t as accurate as a bullet, because the balls will begin to come apart in flight, and shells are large slugs, designed for hitting things as longer ranges and hurting them more than a pistol does. Although shotguns can be fired with one hand, they are usually two-handed weapons. Note that using slug ammunition in a shotgun increases the range by 5 hexes, and firing a double shot (both barrels) decreases range by 3 hexes. Winchester 12-Guage Shotgun Value: 800 The Winchester "Widowmaker" doublebarreled shotgun. Has a short barrel with a mahogany grip. Considering these were mass-produced and sold at discount stores all over the United States before the war, they are quite common. Single or double shot. The chamber holds 2 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition. Min ST: 4 W: 5 Dmg: +12 Rng: 14 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A

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Winchester Sawed-Off Shotgun Value: 800 A sawed off version of the "Widowmaker." Not exactly designed for sniping, but will turn someone to ground round at short range. Single or double shot. The chamber holds 2 rounds of 12-guage ammunition. Min. ST: 4 W: 5 Dmg: +14 Rng: 7 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Pump-Action Shotgun Value: 800 One of dozens of shotguns that were common the world over before the war, a pump-action shotgun is a single-shot, semiautomatic weapon where the next shell is loaded into the chamber by pumping a mechanism along the bottom of the barrel. Many makes and models exist, but they are all almost the same. Single shot only. The pump-action holds 4 rounds of 12-guage ammunition. Min. ST:4 W: 4 Dmg: +12 Rng: 15 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A Beretta 470 Silverhawk Value: 1000 An inexpensive Italian-made shotgun, the Silverhawk was second only to the Benelli among law enforcement officials before the War. It was fairly common in the United States, and many of them can still be found, thanks to its reliability. Single or double shot. The chamber holds 2 rounds of 12-guage ammunition. Min. S: 4 W: 5 lbs. Dmg: +12 Rng: 14 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Winchester Combat Shotgun Value: 2750 The Winchester 12-guage Combat Shotgun with a bullpup variant. Combat shotguns are all-metal weapons designed to deliver the stopping power of a shotgun without the inconvenience of having to reload every two shots. These include the Desert Warfare environmental sealant modification for extra durability. Combat shotguns were common in almost every army and police force before the war. Thanks to their pump-action mechanism, Combat Shotguns fire single shots and a 3-shot burst.

The magazine holds 12 rounds of 12-guage shotgun shells. Min. ST: 5 W: 11 lbs. Dmg: +15 Rng: 22 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 H&K CAWS Value: 4750 The CAWS, short for Close Assault Weapons System, is a useful tool for short-range combat. An improvement over the Winchester Combat Shotgun, the CAWS’ bullpup layout gives the weapon a short, easily handleable length while still retaining enough barrel length for its high velocity shells. Fires single shots and a 5-shot burst. The magazine holds 10 12-guage shotgun shells. Min. ST: 6 W: 6 lbs. Dmg: +15 Rng: 30 AP S: 6 T: 6 B: 6 Pancor "Jackhammer" Value: 5500 The Jackhammer, despite its name, is an easy to control shotgun, even when fired on full automatic. The popular bullpup design, which places the magazine behind the trigger, makes the weapon well balanced and easy to control. Fires single shots or up to a 5-shot burst. The magazine holds 10 12-guage shotgun shells. Min. ST: 5 W: 12 lbs. Dmg: +19 Rng: 35 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 Submachine Guns MGs can fire single shots as well as bursts of bullets. Submachine guns were designed to put the stopping and suppressive power of early machine guns like the Gatling gun into the hands of infantry soldiers. Used as early as late World War I, submachine guns soon changed the face or warfare in the 20th century. Happily, most submachine guns are small enough to use as one-handed weapons. H&K MP-9 10mm SMG Value: 1000 A medium-sized submachine gun. An inexpensive variant on the classic MP-5, the MP-9 uses the slightly larger 10mm ammunition and has a slightly smaller range. This weapon can fire a single shot as well as up to a 10 shot burst. The

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clip holds 30 rounds of 10mm ammunition. Min ST: 4 W: 7 lbs. Dmg: +6 Rng: 25 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 MAC 17 SMG (M-17) Value: 1050 An advanced version of the MAC-10, and a popular weapon in films if not real life, the MAC 17 is a small submachine gun used primarily by terrorist organizations in fast assaults. This weapon can fire single shots as well as up to a 10 shot burst. The clip holds 30 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. Min. ST: 4 W: 6 lbs. Dmg: +7 Rng: 25 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 H&K MP-5 Value: 1100 An unusual design for a submachine gun, the MP-5 fires from a closed bolt and can have one more round than the magazine capacity in the chamber. It is more accurate at single shots, tending to overheat in fully automatic fire. This gun can fire a single shot or a up to a 5 shot burst. The magazine holds 30 shots of 9mm ammunition. Min. ST: 3 W: 5 lbs. Dmg: +7 Rng: 30 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: 5 Uzi Mark 27 SMG Value: 1200 Originally designed for armies, Uzis found their hands of many terrorist The Uzi has a larger magazine than other submachine guns, and therefore makes a good weapon for the ammoconscious. The Uzi fires single shots or up burst. The clip holds 40 ammunition. Min. ST: 4 W: 7 lbs. Dmg: S: 5 T: 6 B: 6

General John Thompson after the first World War, the Tommy Gun became the staple of law enforcement officers as well as organized crime and the IRA. Instead of a clip, the Thompson loads its unusual .45 caliber ammunition from a drum under the barrel. Note that the Thompson must be used as a two-handed weapon. The Tommy Gun fires single shots or up to a 10-shot burst. The ammunition drum holds 50 shots of .45 caliber ammunition. You dirty rat. Min. ST: 6 W: 12 lbs Dmg: +2 Rng: 32 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 Ruger AC556F Value: 1400 The Ruger AC556F is a different version of the popular Mini 14 assault rifle. Used mostly by police forces, the AC556F was also popular in the open market among survivalists and homeowners. It can fire single shots or up to a 10-shot burst. The magazine holds 32 shots of 5.56mm ammunition. Min. ST: 6 W: 15 lbs. Dmg: +7 Rng: 20 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 Sten Gun Value: 1500 Developed by the British during World War II as a cheaper alternative to the Thompson, the Sten Gun continued to be a popular weapon throughout the 20th Century due to its versatility and reliability. The Sten Gun’s hardy craftsmanship allows it to operate well under adverse weather conditions, and it generally requires fewer repairs than other weapons. The Sten Gun fires a single shot or a 3-shot burst. The magazine holds 30 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Min. ST: 6 W: 15 lbs. Dmg: +9 Rng: 24 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 MP-38 Value: 1600 The Schmeisser MP-38 was an early variant of the standard MP-40 submachine gun used by Nazi forces in World War II. Many of them are in poor shape and are often prone to jamming. Valued more as a collectors item than an effective weapon. Fires either a single

the Israeli way into the organizations.

to a 10 shot rounds of 9mm +5 Rng: 20 AP

Thompson M1928 SMG Value: 1200 The "Tommy Gun" submachine gun is a sinister looking weapon. When your character holds this gun, he or she experiences a strange sensation to wear a fedora hat and crack his or her knuckles. Originally designed by

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shot or a 3-shot burst. The magazine holds 30 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Min. ST: 6 W: 25 lbs. Dmg: +7 Rng: 18 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 M3A1 "Grease Gun" SMG Value: 1750 The "Grease Gun" filled National Guard armories after the Army replaced it with newer weapons. An old submahine gun, one of the variants on the MAC-10, “Grease Guns” got their name from the large amount of oil it took to maintain them. They are not uncommon in the post-War world, largely because there were armories full of them all over the United States, and most weapons storage facilities that housed more modern weapons also happened to be at ground zero or closeby. The “Grease Gun” fires a single shot or up to a 10shot burst. The clip holds 30 shots of .45 caliber ammunition. Min. ST: 4 W: 10 lbs Dmg: +10 Rng: 20 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: 5 Walther MPL Value: 1800 The Walther MPL is a medium submachine gun, popular among police and guard forces before the war. Private investigators, bodyguards, and police all used this reliable weapon. The MPL fires a single shot or a 10-shot burst. The clip holds 30 shots of 9mm ammuntition. Min. ST: 4 W: 8 lbs. Dmg: +8 Rng: 40 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Super Soaker Value: 1900 This brightly-colored squirt gun hides the fact that some enterprising individual coated the tank with ceramic, allowing it to fire squirts of acid. And you thought peeing into a squirt gun was devious. Single shot only. The tank holds 15 squirts of acid. The Super Soaker cannot be targeted. Min. ST: 2 W: 15 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: 10 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A

Calico Liberty 100 Value: 2000 A truly remarkable piece of equipment, the Calico Liberty 100 has a reasonable rate of fire and holds a ludicrous amount of ammunition. A version of the popular Calico line. Fires either a single shot or up to a 5round burst. The enormous magazine holds 100 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Min. ST: 6 W: 22 lbs. Dmg: +8 Rng: 20 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 Steyr AUG Value: 2300 The Austrian-made AUG (Army Universal Gun) was one of the most widely used submachine guns before the War. The bullpup design, large clip, and lightweight and portable design made it extremely popular among armies, police, and criminals alike. The AUG fires a single shot or a 10 shot burst, and the clip holds 40 shots of 5.56 ammo. Min. ST: 5 W: 7 lbs. Dmg: +8 Rng: 28 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A H&K P90c Value: 2500 The Heckler and Koch P90c was just coming into use at the time of the War. The weapon's bullpup layout and compact design make it easy to control. The durable P90c is prized for its reliability and high firepower in a ruggedly compact package. Fires single shots or up to a 12-shot burst. The clip holds 24 shots of 10mm ammunition. Min. ST: 4 W: 9 lbs Dmg: +12 Rng: 30 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: 5 Rifles

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ifles are two-handed weapons designed to hit targets at long distances. A long barrel is connected to a metal or wooden stock, allowing for a greater degree of accuracy over longer distances. Rifles are usually fired from the shoulder, with the shooter looking down the barrel to aim.

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BB Gun Value: 150 A basic air-powered gun that shoots little round balls called BBs. Not exactly known for dealing astronomical amounts of damage, but good for scaring off the neighbor’s cat. Single shot only. The chamber holds 100 BBs. Min ST: 1 W: 15 lbs Dmg: +0 Rng: 25 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Pipe Rife Value: 200 A handmade rifle, crafted from a heavily modified 10mm pistol and a long piece of pipe. These simply weapons are commong among tribals with some technical skills. Single shot only. The chamber only holds one 10mm bullet, unfortunately. Min. ST: 5 W: 11 lbs Dmg: +6 Rng: 20 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A .22 Caliber Hunting Rifle Value: 300 Used for squirrel and bunny hunting before the war, .22 rifles are common guns because they were so inexpensive and prevalent. Every Boy Scout used one of these bolt-action weapons at summer camp. Single shot only. The chamber holds 1 .22 caliber bullet. Min. ST: 3 W: 8 lbs. Dmg: +4 Rng: 30 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A M1 Garand Rifle Value: 400 There are certainly better guns out there, but the M1 Garand is one of the most common carbines in existence. The boltaction M1 can trace its roots back to Winchesters used in the American Civil War, and was the standard-issue weapon for doughboys after World War I. Later, it became very popular among civilians due to its low price and decent range. Single shot only. The clip holds 8 7.62 mm bullets. Min. ST: 4 W: 6 lbs. Dmg: +7 Rng: 30 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A

DKS-501 Sniper Rifle Value: 2200 An excellent long-range projectile weapon, and one of the first all-metal sniper rifles. Originally a .308, these guns were rechambered to accommodate the more common .223. The DKS-501 comes equipped with a Scope (see Weapon Enhancements, below). Single shot only. The magazine holds 6 shots of .223 caliber ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 10 lbs Dmg: +14 Rng: 50 AP S: 6 T: 7 B: N/A SVD-4000 Value: 2400 The SVD-4000 was the precursor to the PSG1, and is a fine weapon in its own right. Unfortunately, a design flaw rendered a great deal of these guns inoperable, so a working version can usually only be found in the hands of a serious collector. Because of the flaw, these guns were never widely issued to armed forces in the developed world. Single shot only. The magazine holds 10 shots of 7.62mm ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 15 lbs. Dmg: +14 Rng: 75 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A PSG1 Sniper Rifle Value: 2500 The PSG1 is perhaps the ultimate single shot sniper’s weapon. The semiautomatic mechanism means more shots off per minute, and the range is nearly unequaled. The PSG1 comes with a built-in Scope (see Weapon Enhancements, below). Single shot only. The magazine holds 20 shots of 7.62mm ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 15 lbs. Dmg: +14 Rng: 120 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A G3 Battle Rifle Value: 2600 American soldiers trained on these in basic for nearly half a century. The G3 is a perfect mixture between rifle and assault rifle, capable of firing a short burst without sacrificing accuracy. Fires single shots or up to a 5 shot burst.

The clip holds 20 shots of 7.62mm ammunition. Min. ST: 6 W: 13 lbs. Dmg: 2d10+5 Rng: 45 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 Red Ryder LE BB Gun Value: 3500 The ultimate name in BB guns, there are only a few Red Ryders left in existence. Rumor has it that Red Ryder himself protects children armed with this gun. Of course, that could just be a myth. Single shot only. The chamber holds 100 little stinging BBs. Min. ST: 5 W: 15 lbs Dmg: +25 Rng: 32 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A M72 Gauss Rifle Value: 8250 The final product of endless research in railgun technology, the M72 Gauss Rifle comes from the laboratories of old Germany. It uses an electromagnetic field to propel rounds at tremendous speed. A shot can go through just about any material, including flesh. Stone, concrete, rock and thick metal are just about the only things that can stop a shot from this gun. There is a telltale spiral trail of ionized particles visible for a couple seconds after this gun is fired. Single shot only. The magazine holds 20 shots of 2mm EC ammunition. Min ST: 6 W: 10 lbs Dmg: +33 Rng: 50 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Assault Rifles

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ssault rifles are smaller machine guns designed to put the portability of a submachine gun and the range of a rifle into one neat package. Assault rifles are all twohanded weapons. M14 Value: 1000 The first assault rifle issued to the United States Armed Forces before the Second World War, the M14 was the predecessor to the legendary M16. Featuring a smaller magazine and slower

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rate of fire, the M14 was still popular among collectors and homeowners before the War because of its wide availability and low price. Fires a single shot or a 6-round burst. The magazine holds 20 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. Min. ST: 6 W: 16 lbs. Dmg: +5 Rng: 35 AP S: 6 T: 7 B: 7 Browning Automatic Rifle Value: 1000 Bulky and sporting a rather small clip, the Browning Auto Rifle was originally designed as a squad-level support weapon. The .308 caliber ammo is uses can be hard to come by in the wastes. Fires a single shot or a 10 shot burst. The clip holds 20 rounds of .308 ammo. Min. ST: 6 W: 25 lbs. Dmg: +6 Rng: 40 AP S: 6 T: 7 B: N/A AK-47 Assault Rifle Value: 1000 The older rifle in the AK line, the AK47 is possible the most famous, most reliable, and best-built assault rifle ever. Originally used by the Soviets and their Warsaw Pact allies, the AK-47 was copied by manufacturers in almost every country on earth. These duplicates were often of inferior quality, however, and it is recommended that the discriminating shooter only use a Soviet model. The AK-47 fires single shots or a 5 shot burst. The magazine holds 30 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 10 lbs. Dmg: +7 Rng: 40 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A AK-112 Assault Rifle Value: 1300 An old military model, out of use around the time of the war. Fires single shots or up to a 12 shot burst. The magazine holds 24 shots of 5mm ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 8 lbs. Dmg: +8 Rng: 45 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 FN FAL Value: 1500 The FN FAL has been more widely used by armed forces than any other rifle in history. It’s a reliable weapon for any terrain or situation, and its fine construction of only the best materials ensures a working weapon every time. Fires a single shot or up to a 10 shot burst.

The magazine holds 20 shots of 7.62mm ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 11 lbs. Dmg: +8 Rng: 35 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 AK-74 Value: 1600 A tweak on the Sovietera AK series, the AK74 is also known as the “terrorist’s hot dog” because every terrorist organization in the late 20th Century and early 21st Century seemed to own a version of these guns, regardless of where they came from and what the gun was made of. Fires a single shot or up to a 5 shot burst. The clip holds 30 shots of 5.45mm ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 14 lbs. Dmg: +10 Rng: 45 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 M16A2 Value: 1700 An oldie but goodie, the M16A2 is a modified version of a gun used in Vietnamera America. Its value mainly comes from its rarity. Fires a single shot or a 3 shot burst. The magazine holds 18 shots of 5.56mm ammunition. Min. ST: 6 W: 15 lbs. Dmg: +6 Rng: 40 AP S: 6 T: 7 B: 7

XL70E3 Value: 3000 This was an experimental weapon before the war, and is pretty rare. Rumors are that it was issued to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Fires single shots or up to an 8 shot burst. The chamber holds 24 shots of 5mm ammunition. Min. ST: 5 W: 9 lbs. Dmg: +12 Rng: 35 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: 6 H&K G11 (E) Value: 8000 The H&K G11 and the H&K G11E revolutionized assault weapon design. This gun fires a caseless cartridge consisting of a block of propellant with a bullet buried inside. The resultant weight and space savings allow this weapon to have a very high magazine capacity. Fires single shots or up to a

ig guns are just that – big guns. They always require two hands and do massive amounts of damage.

mounted on a tripod, although one can carry it around, too. The M60 was prized by militaries for its high rate of fire. It can also be attached to vehicles. Fires 10 shot bursts only. The ammo belt holds 50 shots of 7.62mm ammunition. Min. ST: 7 W: 26 lbs. Dmg: +18 Rng: 35 (120) AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 6 Bren Gun Value: 3500 This British adaptation of a Czech design served the Queen’s forces through much of World War II and beyond. It uses an unusual top-fed firing mechanism, and is terribly inaccurate if not fired from a tripod. The Bren Gun fires 15 shot bursts only. The clip holds 45 rounds of .308 ammo. Min. ST: 6 W: 28 lbs. Dmg: +12 Rng: 12 (50) AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 6 MG3 Value: 3600 Originally developed for use in machinegun nests in World War II, where it was employed by both Axis and Allied forces, the MG3 is the world’s most popular infantry machinegun. Later models were made more portable, but the MG3 is nearly uncontrollable if not used on a tripod. The MG3 fires 10 shot bursts only. The ammo belt holds 50 shots of 7.62mm ammunition. Min. ST: 7 W: 30 lbs. Dmg: +15 Rng: 10 (110) AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 6 CZ-53 Minigun Value: 3800 The Rockwell CZ-53 Personal Minigun is a multi-barreled chaingun firing 5mm ammunition at over 60,000 rounds per minute. Ouch. Fires a 20 shot burst only. The magazine holds 120 shots of 5mm ammunition. Min. ST: 7 W: 31 lbs. Dmg: +5 Rng: 35 AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 6 M249 SAW Value: 4000 The Belgian-made M249 Squad Automatic Weapon saw wide use before and during the War. The M249 is best used on a

Machine Guns hese are weapons designed to hurl enormous volumes of bullets at a target or targets. They all require two hands to use, and many of them need a tripod for any degree of accuracy. Browning M2 Minigun Value: 3000 Originally designed as a tripod-mounted weapon in the last stages of World War I, the Browning was later adapted for infantry use as the first true minigun. The fact that it uses a belt makes it somewhat awkward, and the weight makes it unwieldy if not fired from a stand. These guns were so well made that many were serviceable 100 years after manufacture. The M2 was horded by survivalists before the War. Fires a 10-shot burst only. The ammo belt holds 50 rounds of .50 ammunition. Min. ST: 7 W: 40 lbs. Dmg: +8 Rng: 20 (70) AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 7 Lewis MK II Value: 3400 The Cal Lewis MK II was a tweak on an American design adopted by the British at the tail end of World War I. Used up until the 1940s, it offers considerable stopping power and a large ammo drum. Fires a 10 shot burst only. The Lewis’ drum holds 50 shots of .308 caliber ammunition. Min. ST: 6 W: 30 lbs. Dmg: +10 Rng: 30 (90) AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 6 M60 Value: 3500 A belt-fed machine gun that is usually

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tripod in a situation where the gunner can strafe bullets over a wide range. Fires a 20 shot burst only. The ammo belt holds 50 shots of 5.56mm ammunition. Min. ST: 7 W: 35 lbs. Dmg: +15 Rng: 5 (80) AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 7 Light Support Weapon Value: 4750 This squad-level support weapon has a bullpup design, making it difficult to use while lying down. Because of this it was remanded to National Guard units. However, it earned a reputation as a reliable weapon that packs a lot of punch for its size. The LSW gains some accuracy when attached to a tripod. The light support weapon fires 10 shot bursts only, and its ammo belt holds 30 shots of .223 ammunition. Min. ST: 6 W: 22 lbs. Dmg: +20 Rng: 40 (130) AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 6 PK Infantry Support Gun Value: 5000 The PK Infantry Support Gun is a high powered machine gun designed to fire over the heads of entrenched infantry during assaults. The PK ISG comes with a tripod attached, making it unsuitable for up close attacks. The PK ISG fires 10 shots only per burst. The ammo belt holds 50 shots of 7.62mm ammunition. Min. ST: 7 W: 35 lbs. Dmg: +18 Rng: N/A (100) AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 7 Bozar Value: 5250 The Bozar is the ultimate refinement of the sniper’s art. Although somewhat finicky and prone to jamming if not kept scrupulously clean, the big weapon’s accuracy more than makes up for its extra maintenance requirements. This gun looks like a large sniper rifle, and was originally designed for SEALs and Special Forces to take out small vehicles like tanks. Bozars fire 15 shot bursts only. The magazines holds 30 .223 bullets. Min. ST: 6 W: 22 lbs. Dmg: +25 Rng: 75 AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 6

Avenger Minigun Value: 5500 Rockwell designed the Avenger as the replacement for their aging CZ-53 Personal Minigun. The Avenger’s design improvements include improved gel-fin cooling and chromium-plated barrel-bores. This gives it a greater range and lethality. The Avenger fires a 40 shot burst only. The magazine holds 120 shots of 5mm ammunition. Min. ST: 7 W: 31 lbs. Dmg: +10 Rng: 40 AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 6 M2HB Value: 7500 The M2HB is perhaps the most powerful infantry weapon available. It uses the unique .50 BMG ammunition; bullets designed to pierce the armor of tanks and to down helicopters. It can only be fired from a tripod because of its extreme kickback. The M2HB is not designed to be a mobile weapon; instead, it is often found in a semipermanent machinegun nest or attached to a vehicle. The M2HB fires a 25 shot burst only. The ammo belt holds 100 shots of .50 BMG ammunition. Min. ST: 6 W: 60 lbs. Dmg: +20 Rng: N/A (140) AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 7 Vindicator Minigun Value: 15250 The German Rheinmetal AG Company created the Vindicator, the ultimate minigun. The Vindicator throws 90,000 caseless shells per minute down its 6 carbonpolymer barrels. As the pinnacle of Teutonic engineering, it is the ultimate hand-held weapon. 25 shot burst only. The Vindicator’s magazine holds 100 4.7mm caseless bullets. Min. ST: 7 W: 30 lbs. Dmg: +14 Rng: 30 AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 6 MEC Gauss Minigun Value: 20000 Developed in secret by the Chinese Army in the last days of the War, the MEC Gauss Minigun is an experimental weapon of great destruction. Only the strongest soldiers could wield and control this mighty weapon, and it

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usually did so much damage that the Chinese questioned the ethics involved in issuing such a device to battlefield troops. The MEC’s shots have the telltale spiral of ionized gas that is the trademark of other railguns. The MEC fires a 20 round burst only. The magazine holds 120 shots of 2mm EC ammunition. Min. ST: 10 W: 50 lbs. Dmg: + 35 Rng: 7 AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 9 Grenade Launchers and Mortars

renade launchers sling small explosive rounds at a target. Often, they look a good deal like rifles, or even machineguns. Mortars fire explosive ordinance over much longer ranges. They are usually just tubes with a firing mechanism attached. Mortars aren’t suitable for close-range combat, as they explode over a wide area, and are primarily used for longrange (.5 KM or more) combat between squads and light vehicles. There are several types of grenades and mortar ordinance available to shoot; for more details, see the Ammunition section. Note that grenades and mortars cannot be targeted. Ranges for mortars are given in KM, and damage is discussed under the different kinds of Ammunition for these devices in that section. Grenade launchers and personal mortars take two hands to use. M203 Value: 2000 The M203 is a basic grenade launcher, essentially a modified M16A1 rifle fitted with a device to sling grenades a short distance. Single shot only. The M203 holds 1 40mm grenade. Min. ST: 5 W: 16 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: 20 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A BG-1 Grenade Launcher Value: 2100 Although slightly smaller than the M203, the BG-1 looks more like a large shotgun than a grenade launcher. Single shot only. The MK-19 holds 2 40mm grenades. Min. ST: 5 W: 10 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: 15 (25) AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A

MK-19 Personal Artillery Device Value: 7000 The MK-19 is a tripod-mounted grenade launcher designed to throw explosives accurately over long distances. A small computer helps compensate for wind, terrain, and other factors. Single shot only. The MK-19 holds 1 40mm grenade. Min. ST: 5 W: 25 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: (140) AP S: 6 T: N/A B: N/A AGS-17 Grenade Launcher Value: 10500 The AGS-17 is an improved version of the MK-19, with a better computer for increased accuracy. The AGS-17 model was in wide distribution before and during the war. Again, a tripod-mounted device. Single shot only. The AGS-17 holds 5 40mm grenades. Min. ST: 5 W: 30 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: (170) AP S: 6 T: N/A B: N/A M2 60mm Portable Mortar Value: 14000 The M2 was widely used by UN forces in the Gulf War, and is one of the most common portable artillery devices. Although it has nowhere near the range of a tank or howitzer, its primary use was to bombard infantry with artillery, demoralizing them. It can also fire different kinds of chemical warefare, but we know the US would never do that. The M2 holds one 60mm mortar, and must be set up on a tripod, on the ground (not on the back of a vehicle). Min. ST: 5 W: 40 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: .7 KM AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A

The rockets the TOW-II fires are covered with a small amount of uranium, designed to melt through armor to reach the vulnerable parts underneath. Because of its pre-programmed firing computer, the TOW-II cannot target anything other than vehicles. Not that you would want to. Of course, someone out there could probably re-program it. Single shot only. The TOW-II holds 1 TOW-II rocket. Min. ST: 6 W: 65 lbs. Dmg: 10d10+200 Rng: 150 AP S: 8 T: N/A B: N/A Flamethrowers lamethrowers are fairly selfexplanatory; they fire a hightemperature substance called fire at targets to damage said target. Flamethrowers can also be re-fitted with different kinds of ammunition tanks, so they can shoot things other than fire. Very, very nasty things. It goes without saying that flamethrowers are two-handed weapons. M9E1-7 Flamethrower Value: 2000 Your basic flamethrower. A nozzle with a gun-like trigger is attached to a hose which is in turn attached to a special backpack containing fuel. Useful for taking out large groups of people. Flamethrower fuel is not always the only thing a flamethrower can spew. For rules about damage from flamethrowers and fire, see the NonConventional Weapons section under Combat Step Two: Damage. Single shot only. The flamer’s backpack holds a tank of ammunition, and the number of “shots” varies from tank to tank. Min. ST: 6 W: 28 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: 20 AP S: 6 T: N/A B: N/A Flambe 450 Flamethrower Designed as a squad support weapon, the Flambe 450 was employed during the war to take out nests of machineguns and to torch civilian villages as a form of terrorism. Its light weight and increased range make it a formidable weapon. Min. ST: 6 W: 20 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: 23 AP S: 6 T: N/A B: N/A

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hese are rocket launchers designed to destroy tanks, jeeps, cars, trucks, and other land-based vehicles. Using these on critters and other people can be fun, for the truly sadistic. Rocket launchers all require two hands. LAW-80 Rocket Launcher Value: 1900 LAW stands for Light Antivehicle Weapon. Although the LAW rocket is relatively weak and can only be fired once, it packs quite a bit of a punch. Single shot only. The LAW-80 cannot be reloaded and comes with one LAW-80 rocket. Min. ST: 6 W: 14 lbs. Dmg: 6d8+30 Rng: 60 AP S: 6 T: N/A B: N/A Rockwell L-72 Rocket Launcher Value: 2300 A basic rocket launcher, and one of the few shoulder-fired models that can be reloaded. The L-72 holds one Rocket. Min. ST: 6 W: 15 lbs. Dmg: Varies Rng: 50 AP S: 6 T: N/A B: N/A TOW-II Missile Defense System Value: 15000 The TOW-II MDS is simply powerful anti-tank device available. It can only be fired from a tripod and will generally destroy any small vehicle it hits.

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Energy Weapons Skill Weapons
nergy weapons were developed in the early 21st century, and almost every major government employed them in their armed forces at the time of the war. Pistols do not require two hands to use, all other energy weapons do. There are two main kinds of energy weapons: laser and plasma. Lasers are highly concentrated beams of light that melt through pretty much anything. Plasma is superheated, ionized gas that melts through pretty much anything. There are other kinds of energy weapons as well. Note that damage from energy weapons is weapon-dependant, not ammodependant. Energy pistols are onehanded weapons, but energy rifles and big energy weapons require two hands. Pistols he simplest energy weapons, and usually the weakest, are pistols. They are however, good for concealing and scaring people who have not dealt with energy weapons before. Wattz 1000 Laser Pistol Value: 1200 The civilian model of the W-1600 pistol, The W-1000 is slightly weaker and has a shorter range. There are still a few of these lying around the wastes, although they tend to be in pretty bad shape. The W-1000 holds 10 charges, and uses Small Energy Cells to recharge. Min. ST: 3 W: 6 lbs. Dmg: 1d8+10 Rng: 25 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Wattz 1600 Laser Pistol Value: 1400 The Laser Pistol is perhaps the simplest of the energy weapons. It fires concentrated light at a target, exciting the molecules at the point of impact and causing considerable damage. Favored by assassins and gangsters because of its relatively inexpensive price and small size. Single shot only. The Laser Pistol holds 12 charges, and uses the Small Energy Cell to recharge. Min. ST: 3 W: 7 lbs. Dmg: 1d12+10 Rng: 35 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A

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Solar Scorcher Value: 2000 The Solar Scorcher is not named because it can actually damage the sun, but instead of ammo it uses the sun’s rays to recharge. Unfortunately, this makes its use in caves, buildings, and at night somewhat limited. It recharges in about 30 seconds, but must be in direct sunlight to do so. Single shot only. The Solar Scorcher holds 6 charges, and uses direct sunlight to recharge. Min. ST: 4 W: 10 lbs. Dmg: 4d10+20 Rng: 20 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Spasm Gun Value: 2200 An adaptation of a stun gun, a small personal defense tool, the spasm gun is an energy weapon that fires an electric burst at a target, overwhelming the target’s nervous system and rendering them immobile as well as causing massive internal damage. And target hit with the spasm gun will be unconscious for 1d10 rounds he, she, or it twitches helplessly on the ground. The chamber holds 20 charges of small energy cell. Note that the spasm gun cannot be targeted. Min. ST: 3 W: 5 lbs. Dmg: 2d20+12 Rng: 15 AP S: 4 T: N/A B: N/A Glock 86 Plasma Pistol Value: 2750 Designed by the Gaston Glock Laboratories, this small gun shoots a small bolt of superheated plasma. Single shot only. The Plasma Pistol holds 16 charges, and uses the Small Energy Cell to recharge. Min. ST: 4 W: 8 lbs. Dmg: 1d20+10 Rng: 20 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A Alien Blaster Value: 10000 No one is sure where this weapon comes from, and there have been several unconfirmed reports from nomads that they fell from the skies inside of large metal disks; disks that also contained the bodies of something not human. Single

Gatling Laser Value: 7500 The H&K L30 Gatling Laser is the only energy weapon capable of firing in burst mode. Designed specifically for military use, these were in the prototype stage at the beginning of the war. Multiple barrels allow longer firing before overheating. The Gatling Laser only fires a 10-shot burst. The Gatling Laser holds 30 charges, and uses Micro Fusion Cells to recharge. Min. ST: 6 W: 29 lbs. Dmg: 1d20+20 Rng: 40 AP S: N/A T: N/A B: 6 Ion Beamer Value: 14000 This was an experimental weapon at the beginning of the war. Kind of awkward, as it looks a good deal like the Ghostbusters’ proton packs, the Ion Beamer is a subatomic particle-spewing hose attached to a backpack with a nuclear accelerator. The Ion Beamer showers a target with skindamaging ionized gas. The ions cause the atoms in the target’s body to start losing or gaining electrons, eventually leading to the target’s disintegration. Note that the Ion Beamer cannot be targeted. Single shot only. The Ion Beamer holds 20 charges, and uses Micro Fusion Cells to recharge. Min. ST: 5 W: 30 lbs. Dmg: 3d12+60 Rng: 30 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A MESON Cannon Value: 16000 Another experimental weapon, the MESON Cannon is a shoulder-fired weapon of incredible destructive power. It shoots MESONs, which are made up of two quarks – a quark and an antiquark. Since normal protons are made up of three quarks, the addition of a MESON into a normal proton causes the atom to begin exploding at close to the speed of light, leaving nothing but quarks. Note that the MESON Cannon cannot be targeted. Single shot only. The MESON Cannon holds 10 charges, and uses Micro Fusion Cells to recharge. Min. ST: 6 W: 30 lbs. Dmg: 5d10+100 Rng: 50 AP S: 6 T: N/A B: N/A

Throwing Skill Weapons

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hese are weapons that the user chucks with good old-fashioned muscle power. AP numbers reflect necessary action points when throwing the weapon. Note that grenades and other thrown explosives cannot be targeted. Rock Value: N/A Your basic, run of the mill rock. There are only several trillion of them lying around the wastes. See also Melee Weapons. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb. Dmg: 1d4 + MD Rng: 10 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Powder Bag Value: 3 A tribal invention, a powder bag is a small sack willed with a fungal powder that causes a severe allergic reaction in a human target. Any human target successfully hit with a powder bag must roll against Endurance or else be overcome by blindness for 1d10 rounds. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb. Dmg: None Rng: 10 S: 4 T: N/A B: N/A Sharpened Pole Value: 5 A basic piece of wood with a sharpened end. See also Melee Weapons. Min. ST: 3 W: 3 lbs. Dmg: (1d4+1) + MD Rng: 10 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Dart Value: 10 A simple weapon constructed from anything from wood to plastic to metal, a dart is a tiny object thrown into the flesh of a target. They aren’t known for causing excessive amounts of damage, but when coated with the right substance, darts make a great poisoner’s weapon. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lbs. Dmg: 1d2 Rng: 8 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Bola Value: 10 Originally designed by native peoples in Europe and the Americas, and adopted as recently as 100 years ago by ranchers in Argentina, a bola is a

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rope with two or three rocks tied to the ends. One uses a bola by swinging it over their head and tossing it at the target; if successful, the bola will wrap around the target, knocking it off its feet and rendering it immobile. Bolas do not actually do damage, but are a favorite weapon of slavers who do not wish their goods harmed. Anything hit with a bola is automatically knocked down and immobile until freed; a successful roll against Strength allows the target to break out. Min ST: 4 W: 5 lbs. Dmg: N/A Rng: 30 S: 4 T: N/A B: N/A Boomerang Value: 15 Although boomerangs are commonly associated with Australian aborigines, similar devices have been found among indigenous peoples the world over. Contrary to popular belief, hunting boomerangs (the kind that hurt) do not return to the user. They are a cleverly designed wooden airfoil with a handle on one end, and can cause a surprising amount of damage for their relative size. Min ST: 5 W: 1 lb. Dmg: 2d10 + MD Rng: 20 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Throwing Stars Value: 30 These small, sharp pieces of metal are used primarily by Yakuza as assassination tools. Some tribals use similar devices to hunt small game – and for self defense. An enterprising individual could coat them with poison to make them more painful. Min. ST: 1 W: 1 lb. Dmg: 1d6 Rng: 15 AP S: 3 T: 4 B: N/A Knife Value: 40 A basic knife for cutting things, critters, or people. See also Melee Weapons. Min. ST: 2 W: 1 lb. Dmg 1d10 + MD Rng: 5 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A

Smoke Grenade Value: 140 The smoke grenade doesn’t actually explode, but a chemical reaction causes a cloud of smoke to be released in a radius of 5 hexes from the grenade’s “detonation” point. The smoke causes blindness for 1d10 rounds to any biological critter within it. Min. ST: 4 W: 1 lb. Dmg: None Rng: STR*2 AP S: 4 T: N/A B: N/A Fragmentation Grenade Value: 150 A small explosive device that one throws and then explodes at the base of a target. Frag grenades are designed to

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shatter upon impact, peppering anything nearby with small fragments of metal. Anything in a hex adjacent to the grenade’s point of explosion is subject to 1d6 points of frag damage. Anything within two hexes of the explosion suffers 1d6 points of concussion damage. Min. ST: 3 W: 1 lb. Dmg: 1d12+22 Rng: 15 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A Combat Knife Value: 165 A military-issued knife designed for melee combat. The serrated edges tend to tear instead of cut, and are a lot more painful than a normal knife. See also Melee Weapons. Min. ST: 2 W: 2 lbs. Dmg: (1d12+3) + MD Rng: 7 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Phantasm (Fantasy) Ball Value: 200 At first glance, this appears to be a solid metal sphere about the size of a baseball. When enough centrifugal force is applied – say, from throwing it or rolling it on the ground – metal spikes pop out of the ball, turning it into a sharp, deadly object. Its damage is relatively low, so phantasm balls are best used in conjunction with poison, as an assassin’s tool, or as a caltrop to cause damage to a car tire. Min. ST: 3 W: 3 lbs. Dmg: (1d12+5) + MD Rng: STR*2 AP S: 4 T: 5 B: N/A Plasma Grenade Value: 300 The plasma grenade explodes and propels a large amount of superheated plasma into the surrounding area. Anything in a hex adjacent to the grenade’s point of explosion is subject to 1/3 of the damage from the plasma. Anything within two hexes of the explosion is subject to 1d6 of concussion damage. Min. ST: 4 W: 1 lb. Dmg: 5d10+40 Rng: 15 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A Gas Grenade Value: 300 This grenade doesn’t actually explode, but releases a cloud of gas in a radius of 6 hexes from the point of “detonation.” Min. ST: 4 W: 1 lb. Dmg: Varies Rng: 15 AP S: 5 T: N/T B: N/A

Acid Grenade Value: 300 A nasty weapon, acid grenades were designed to demoralize soldiers by permanently disfiguring them. When they explode, acid grenades release a spray of acid that coats everything in a 2 hex radius. In addition, everything within two hexes of the explosion is subject to 1d6 points of concussion damage. Min. ST: 4 W: 1 lb. Dmg: Varies Rng: 15 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A Flash Grenade Value: 300 The flash grenade, known as the “flashbang” among counter-terrorist units, doesn’t explode like a normal grenade but instead emits a bright flash of light. Anyone facing a flash grenade who doesn’t know to look away will suffer blindness for 1d10 rounds after it explodes. Anything within two hexes is also subject to 1d6 of concussion damage. Min. ST: 4 W: 1 Dmg: Special Rng: 15 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A Tangle Grenade Value: 300 Another diabolical toy, the tangle grenade doesn’t explode, but instead sprays a quick-drying liquid polymer than entangles any critter, character, or NPC in a three-hex radius of the explosion. A successful roll against Strength is required to break free of this chemical compound. Anything within two hexes also suffers 1d6 of concussion damage. Min. ST: 4 W: 1 lbs. Dmg: None Rng: 15 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A Incendiary Grenade Value: 300 Essentially an improved Molotov cocktail, the incendiary grenade combines the explosive effects of a frag grenade with burning phosphorus. Ouch. Anything in a hex adjacent to the point of explosion is subject to 1d6 points of frag damage, and anything within 2 hexes suffers 1d6 points of concussion damage. Anything within 3 hexes of the explosion is covered with burning phosphorus and begins taking fire damage. Note that

each successful hit with a festering weapon, they become ill in 1d10 days. In 1d10 days after that, the flesh around the wound becomes gangrenous and, if not removed, the target dies in another 1d10 days. Dynamite Tying an explosive to a pole sure sounds like a good idea, right? The explosive detonates as normal. Serrated Edge Serrating the blade of a slashing weapon greatly increases the surface area of the cutting edge, causing more damage and tearing flesh like a saw. Serrating a blade adds +4 to a weapon’s damage. Barbed Point Barbs are pieces of twisted metal that hook a weapon inside of the target, like a fishhook. The target must then run around with a weapon sticking out of their body unless they take another 3d4 of damage to pull the weapon out. Very useful when hunting large game that needs to be worn down, or when making an example of a tough enemy. Gun Enhancements Specifically designed for firearms, these additions will enhance the statistic of nearly every gun. Note that not all modifications will work with all guns: putting a stock on a rifle, for instance, is redundant. Tripod Value: 500 This isn’t a modification per se, but a collapsible device used to balance and support larger weapons. If a weapon can benefit from a tripod, the weapon’s description will include the statistics for improved range. W: 7 lbs. Stock Value: 500 Stocks attach to pistols and submachine guns only (rifles and assault rifles already have stocks) and allow the shooter to place the gun firmly in the shoulder, allowing him or her to hold the weapon a little steadier. Pistols and SMGs with a stock have an increased range of 5 meters. Stocks can either be fixed pieces of wood or metal that screw onto the gun, or a collapsible metal construction that folds up for easy carriage.

Weapon Enhancements

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his section details some of the various weapon enhancements one can encounter in the wastes. Some of these are custom jobs, and the only place you can get them is from a knowledgeable weaponsmith. Others, like the night sight, can be bought or sold. Melee Weapon Enhancements Since the War, firearms have become much more scarce, and intelligent people have begun to innovate ways to make melee weapons more effective in combat. Below are some examples of melee weapon enhancements, along with the kinds of melee weapons that can be upgraded by each improvement. Sharpened Blade An enhancement for bladed weapons only, a sharpened blade represents a weapon that has been meticulously filed with a sharpening stone or fine piece of flint. This process adds +4 to a weapon’s damage. Poison One of the most common enhancements is the addition of poison to a blade or needle. Only useful on weapons that pierce the skin, poison makes things die faster. For a complete list of poisons, see above. Festering Tip Smearing a piercing weapon with feces or a rotting carcass is an old idea, and one that is useful if you aren’t interested in killing something right away. If the target fails a roll against Endurance with a –5 penalty for

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Silencer Value: 500 One of the simplest modifications, a silencer fits over the end of the barrel of almost any weapon. Guns are loud because of the air that is suddenly pushed out of the way when a bullet fires, and silencers help the air escape as the bullet leaves the gun, effectively reducing or eliminating the loud “bang.” Good for sneaking up on people, or when you are shooting and don’t want everyone in town to know about it. Rifled Barrel Value: 1000 Rifled barrels are barrel extensions for pistols and submachine guns only. By increasing the length of the barrel, the gun becomes much more accurate by reducing outside influences on the first critical moments of the bullet’s path. Unfortunately, they also make the bullet travel slower. A rifled barrel will increase a gun’s range by a full 20 meters, but will reduce the amount of damage the weapon does by 4. Night Sight Value: 2000 This is a scope attached to the top of the gun that shows the world in heatwaves (thermal) rather than normal light. When a weapon has a night sight, darkness modifiers are ignored. Sniper’s Scope Value: 3000 The sniper’s scope allows a person to easily examine a target and effectively increases the range of the gun. Note that sniper rifles are already assumed to have sniper scopes. A scope increases the range of the weapon by 20 meters, but all rolls to hit must be made as if the shooter were making a targeted attack, whether the shooter is or not. Laser Sight Value: 3000 A small device that attaches directly under the barrel of a gun, the laser sight allows you to target areas of the body without taking penalties. Targeted rolls are made as a normal, single roll, and there are no penalties for targeting smaller body parts.

Speed Loader Value: 3000 A speed loader is an enhancement designed only for a revolver. When a speed loader is attached, the pistol only takes 1 AP to reload. Expanded Magazine Value: 5000 Some rifles and assault rifles can have their magazines expanded by a knowledgeable weaponsmith. The volume of the expanded magazine varies from gun to gun and weaponsmith to weaponsmith.

Ammunition

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his covers the various types of ammunition, as some guns can fire more than one type.

Types of Gas
Below is a short list of chemical gasses one can encounter in the wastes. Mustard Gas Mustard gas was originally invented at the beginning of World War I, and was used heavily in trench warfare until it was banned as inhumane. Because it is relatively easy to manufacture, mustard gas is common in areas where pre-War supplies have run out. Inhaled only. Causes 1d10 points of damage per round spend in the cloud, and the effects last 1d10 rounds after the effected critter exits the cloud.

Pepper Gas Another easy-to-manufacture chemical, pepper gas causes a great deal of pain to the eyes, nose, and throat without actually damaging the victim. It is instead designed to immobilize a target. Inhaled and contact (with eyes). If contact with the eyes is made, the target is blinded for 2d20 rounds. If inhaled, the target is immobilized by coughing for every round spent in the cloud, and for 1d10 rounds after leaving the cloud. While immobilized, all natural armor class is lost, and movement rates are doubled (it takes two AP to move one hex). Acidic Cloud A nasty form of gas attack, an acidic cloud is essentially a very strong acid sprayed in a vaporous cloud. Inhaled and contact. Causes 1d10 points of inhaled damage per round in the cloud if inhaled, and 1d10 points of damage for 1d10 rounds after leaving the cloud. If it comes into contact with the skin, it causes an additional 2d20 points of damage. Sleeping Gas Sleeping gas is fairly self-explanatory; it puts the victim to sleep. Sleeping characters cannot act, and their armor class is reduced only to what they are wearing. The effects last 5d10 rounds. Sleeping gas is an inhaled gas. TK-BMI Antipersonnel Gas TK-BMI was developed as a humane alternative to mustard gas in the later parts of the 20th century. The deal is that it numbs the victim, so they do not have to deal with the intense pain of their insides burning up. TK-BMI deals 1d10 points of damage per round spent in the cloud, and the effects last for 2d6 rounds after leaving the cloud. TK-BMI is an inhaled gas.

Type B Type B acid is rather simple to make, being an extract of lye mixed with water. It melts through flesh and is extremely painful, resulting in 2d4 points of damage per round. The trick is that water does not wash it off; it only makes it worse. Vinegar is the only way to remove type B acid. Type C Type C acid is a much stronger mixture. It burns the target for 2d8 points of damage per round. Luckily, water will remove it. Type D The most potent and vile acidic chemical compound, Type D acid is designed to main and cause a great deal of pain. This is the most common type of acid found in chemical warfare, as it was deemed “humane” by the UN before the War. It causes 3d10 points of damage per round, and the effects last 1d10 rounds.

Traps
Below are some basic kinds of traps. Wily characters should let their imaginations run wild when cooking up new ones. Bullhorn Trap This simple device is a loud warning siren attached to a trigger of some kind. When the trap is sprung, the alarm goes off, alerting anyone within hearing distance to the intrusion. Silent Alarm When triggered, this electronic alarm alerts someone in another room or area to the presence of an intruder. The unlucky victim may not even be aware that they set off the trap. Gas This trap is simply a gas canister attached to a trigger. When sprung, a cloud of gas 5 hexes in diameter is released. Poison Needle When triggered, this trap shoots a needle covered with poison into the skin of the victim. Pit of Spikes A nasty little trap, the pit of spikes is a well-disguised pit filled with –

Types of Acid
Acid is a corrosive substance that melts through skin, metal, and rock. Usually, it is only made in labs where chemical reactions can be controlled. Type A Type A acid causes a mild rash, resulting in 1d4 points of damage per round. It can be washed off with water.

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you guessed it – spikes. The hapless soul who falls into this little trap takes 3d10 points of damage. Explosive An explosive device wired to a trigger, this trap sets off a bomb when sprung. Depending on the crafty nature of the trapper, it may set off other traps, too. Claymore Trap The claymore is a combination of the bullhorn trap and an explosive trap. Not only does it blow up in your face, it lets everyone within 200 meters know you are there. Oops.

Mines
T13 Antipersonnel Mine Value: 1000 The T13 is a basic pressure-sensitive mine, set in the ground so unsuspecting dolts can set it off and blow off a limb or two. Anyone in a hex adjacent to the explosion gets 1d6 points of frag damage, and anyone within 3 hexes gets 1d6 points of concussion damage. Dmg: 1d20+20 T45-SE Antivehicle Mine Value: 1500 Designed to take out tanks and other armored vehicles, the T45 series of land mines is incredibly destructive. Anyone within 2 hexes of the explosion is subject to 1d6 points of frag damage, and anyone within 4 hexes of the explosion is subject to concussion damage. Dmg: 3d20+20

Greater Banding Value: 2200 Manufactured by the Reavers, this excellent banding is made of metal and Kevlar encased in canvas and leather. Economical and sturdy, it is some of the finest armor money can buy in the wastes. Wearing this armor reduces your Sneak skill by 15%. W: 18 lbs. AC: 25 N: 5/50 L: 2/40 F: 4/30 P: 3/30 E: 5/60 Mutant Plate Armor Value: 3000 One of the few suits of armor a mutant can wear, this “suit” consists mostly of strips of leather and metal that form a crude protective covering. Only mutants can wear this armor. W: 40 lbs. AC: 10 N: 4/30 L: 3/37 F: 4/15 P: 3/37 E: 4/25 Spiked Mutant Plate Armor Value: 4200 An improvement on normal mutant plate armor, this suit offers better protection, better craftsmanship, and weights a lot more. Only mutants can wear this armor. W: 50 lbs. AC: 15 N: 4/35 L: 4/45 F: 4/20 P: 4/45 E: 4/30 Tesla Armor Value: 4500 This metal suit of armor is enhanced with electromagnetic coils to aid in protection against energy attacks. Usually found only in high-tech areas. Wearing this special armor reduces your Sneak skill by 20%. W: 35 lbs. AC: 15 N: 4/20 L: 19/90 F: 4/10 P: 10/80 E: 4/20 Brotherhood Tesla Armor Value: 4800 The Brotherhood of Steel manufactured this improved version of the Tesla Armor. It is usually only worn by Brotherhood technicians. Wearing this armor reduces your Sneak skill by 20%. W: 35 lbs. AC: 15 N: 4/20 L: 15/85 F: 7/45 P: 15/85 E: 4/20 Brotherhood Combat Armor Value: 4800 This combat armor is standard-issue for combat-members in the Brotherhood of Steel. This is an advanced version of the Combat Armor, and can occasionally be found for

sale in large cities. This suit of armor already has a helmet. Wearing combat armor gives the user a +20% Radiation Resistance bonus. W: 25 lbs. AC: 20 N: 8/40 L: 8/70 F: 7/50 P: 7/60 E: 8/40 Radiation Suit Value: 5000 A radiation suit is necessary if someone is going to do any prolonged activity in an irradiated area. While wearing a radiation suit, a person is protected from all the harmful effects of radioactivity and radioactive materials (100% Radiation Resistance). Another added bonus is that these suits give 100/100 gas resist as well. Needless to say, these suits are rare – and valuable. You cannot wear a helmet with a radiation suit. Wearing a rad suit reduces your chances to Sneak by 30%. W: 20 lbs. AC: 15 N: 4/30 L: 0/30 F: 10/60 P: 0/20 E: 4/40 Combat Armor Value: 6500 The standard military-issue armor for ground troops before the war, there are still quite a few suits of combat armor lying around. Most are used by police forces in large cities, or by gangsters with lots of money. This suit of armor already has a helmet, and confers a +20% Radiation Resistance bonus. W: 20 lbs. AC: 20 N: 5/40 L: 8/60 F: 4/30 P: 4/50 E: 6/40 Combat Armor MK II Value: 8000 An advanced version of the Combat Armor, this offers far better protection. Originally issued to soldiers in the advanced stages of the war. This suit of armor already has a helmet. Wearing this protection gives you an extra +20% radiation resist bonus. W: 20 lbs. AC: 25 N: 6/40 L: 6/65 F: 5/35 P: 5/50 E: 9/45 Brotherhood Environmental Armor Value: 9000 The Brotherhood of Steel developed this advanced Hostile Environment suit for operatives in special situations.

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Combining the protection of a radiation suit with the gas-filtration system of power armors, this armor also offers the user some protection against attacks. Perfect for the Knight fighting off ghouls – or the adventurer who killed the Knight and is now fighting off ghouls. This armor filters all gas attacks (gas resist 100/100) and offers the user a 60% bonus to Radiation Resistance and a 50% bonus to Poison Resistance. This suit of armor already has a helmet. When wearing Environmental Armor, the user gains a 50% penalty to sneak; a 10% penalty to Doctor, Lockpick, Steal, and Repair; and a 5% penalty to First Aid and Science due to the clunky nature of the suit. W: 30 lbs. AC: 18 N: 5/40 L: 5/55 F: 4/40 P: 5/55 E: 6/40 Brotherhood Environmental Armor MK II Value: 10000 An advanced version of the Brotherhood’s Environmental Armor. It gives a 90% Radiation Resist bonus, a 100/100 Gas Resistance bonus, and a 75% Poison Resistance bonus. This suit of armor has a helmet. Wearing this armor confers a –1 Penalty to Perception; a 50% penalty to Sneak; an 11% penalty to Doctor and Lockpick; a 10% penalty to Repair and Steal; a 7% penalty to First Aid; a 5% penalty to Science; and a 2% penalty to Pilot. Such is the price of decent protection. Needless to say, only the highest ranking officers in the Brotherhood have access to this kind of armor. W: 35 lbs. AC: 20 N: 6/40 L: 6/60 F: 5/42 P: 6/60 E: 9/45 Pseudo-Chitin Armor Value: 10000 This experimental armor was made using genetic engineering. Basically, this armor affords its wearer a complete biological exoskeleton, protecting against a good deal of normal attacks. It also affords the user a 20% bonus to Radiation Resistance. You cannot wear a helmet with this strange suit of armor. W: 20 lbs. AC: 30 N: 10/50 L: 4/20 F: 10/60 P: 4/20 E: 5/50 Power Armor Value: 12500 This is a metal suit of body armor enhanced with various

powered features. Power armor is often the final word in personal protection in the wastes, and is usually only worn by Knights of the Brotherhood of Steel, and other organizations with access to prewar tech. The power of the armor adds +3 Strength to the wearer. This armor offers 100/100 gas resistance and gives the user a 30% bonus to Radiation Resistance and a +15% bonus to Poison Resistance. This body suit already includes a helmet. When wearing Power Armor, the user has a 75% penalty to Sneak and a 10% penalty to First Aid, Doctor, Lockpick, Steal, Science, and Repair. W: 35 AC: 25 N: 12/40 L: 18/80 F: 12/60 P: 10/40 E: 20/50 Hardened Power Armor Value: 15000 There is a chemical process that makes normal Brotherhood Power Armor harder and better, and this is the result of that process. Like the normal Power Armor, this suit enhances the Strength of the wearer by 3 points, and offers a 30% bonus to Radiation Resistance as well as 100/100 gas resistance and a 15% bonus to Poison Resistance. This armor already has a helmet. When wearing Hardened Power Armor, the user has a 75% penalty to Sneak and a 10% penalty to First Aid, Doctor, Lockpick, Steal, Science, and Repair. W: 50 AC: 25 N: 13/50 L: 19/90 F: 14/70 P: 13/50 E: 20/60 Brotherhood Power Armor Value: 17000 This suit of power armor was manufactured by the Brotherhood of Steel for its Paladins after the War. It is amazingly resilient, and fairly stylish, too. It offers a 30% Radiation Resist bonus and a 100/100 Gas Resistance with a 15% Poison Resistance bonus. This fancy suit of armor comes with a helmet. When wearing Brotherhood Power Armor, the user has a 75% penalty to Sneak and a 10% penalty to First Aid, Doctor, Lockpick, Steal, Science, and Repair. The wearer also gains a +3 bonus to Strength, but takes a –1 penalty to Perception. W: 42 lbs. AC: 28 N: 13/50 L: 16/70 F: 13/60 P: 16/70 E: 20/60

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Brotherhood Advanced Power Armor Value: 20000 An advanced form of the Brotherhood’s own power armor. This armor gives a 60% Radiation Resist bonus and a 100/100 Gas Resist bonus with a 20% Poison Resist bonus. It also comes with a helmet. Wearing this armor gives the user a +4 bonus to Strength, but a –2 penalty to Perception. When wearing Advanced Power Armor, the user has a 75% penalty to Sneak and a 10% penalty to First Aid, Doctor, Lockpick, Steal, Science, and Repair. W: 50 lbs. AC: 35 N: 18/55 L: 17/75 F: 15/65 P: 17/75 E: 20/65 Advanced Power Armor Value: 20000 Advanced Power Armor is an improvement on normal Power Armor, made mostly by technicians after the war. It is extremely rare and can only be found in organizations that can trace their roots back to the American Armed Services, such as the Enclave. This armor enhances the Strength of the wearer by 4 points. It also gives the wearer a 60% bonus to Radiation Resistance, a 20% bonus to Poison Resist, and filters 100/100 of gas attacks. This armor already has a helmet. Advanced power armor has a built-in night vision system, so any negative modifiers from light are ignored. When wearing Advanced Power Armor, the user has a 75% penalty to Sneak and a 10% penalty to First Aid, Doctor, Lockpick, Steal, Science, and Repair. W: 30 AC: 30 N: 15/55 L: 19/90 F: 16/70 P: 15/60 E: 20/65 Advanced Power Armor MK II Value: 35000 An improved version of the Advanced Power Armor, the MK II model offers slightly better protection in addition to the 100/100 gas filtration and +4 Strength enhancements that earlier Advanced Power Armors did. The only group known to have this armor is the Enclave. This armor also gives the user a 75% bonus to Radiation Resistance, a 100/100 bonus to Gas Resistance, and a 40% bonus to Poison Resistance. Since this is the final word in armor, it already has a helmet. This suit also has a built-in night vision system, so any negative modifiers from light are ignored. When wearing the ultimate suit of Power

Armor, the user has a 75% penalty to Sneak and a 10% penalty to First Aid, Doctor, Lockpick, Steal, Science, and Repair. W: 50 AC: 35 N: 18/60 L: 19/90 F: 16/70 P: 18/60 E: 20/70 Helmets Helmets can be worn independently of armor. Many of them are already part of a suit; combat helmets go with combat armor, and so forth. Taking off a helmet results in a slight loss of AC and, in some cases, a loss of certain resistances. Leather Cap Value: 90 A simple cap, made from tanned Brahmin hide. AC: 3 Metal Helmet Value: 200 A metallic helmet that provides some protection to the head and face. These can be crafted from almost any kind of metal, but can be dangerous if not made and worn properly. AC: 6 Combat Helmet Value: 500 Part of a suit of combat armor, this helmet is made of Kevlar and reinforced plastics. AC: 9 Environmental Helmet Value: 900 Part of a suit of environmental armor, this helmet provides a minimum amount of protection but is key in filtering out gasses. Will not work without the corresponding suit. AC: 11 GR: 100/10 Power Armor Helmet Value: 1500 They come in many shapes and sizes, but power armor helmets are some of the most easily recognized headgears in the wastes. Will not work without the suit. AC: 13 GR: 100/20

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Equipment

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quipment is any item that is not a weapon, ammunition, armor, or weapon enhancement. These are common (or semi-common), useful items in the wastes. Flare Value: 10 A chemical-packed stick that, when ignited, will provide light for about an hour. W: 1 lb. Lighter Value: 10 When you need to get that molotov cocktail going, or burn that particular bridge. W: 1 lb. Flashlight Value: 15 A small flashlight (torch) that runs off of a special energy cell. Usually provides about 30 hours of light before going out. W: 1 lb. Rope Value: 25 What role playing game would be complete without a rope? Perhaps one of the most useful items in the world. Consider this to be about 10 meters long. W: 10 lbs. Shovel Value: 30 Can you dig this, daddy-o? W: 15 lbs. Claw Hammer Value: 40 A useful implement, the claw hammer can pound nails into things, or remove nails from things. Use it to hang all those velvet Elvis’ you find in the wastes. W: 4 lbs.

Lockpick Value: 40 Gives the user a +50% bonus to Lockpick ability for the purposes of picking basic locks. Some locks require one of these (or a key) to open. W: 1 lb. Tool Set Value: 50 A set of basic tools, such as small wrenches, pliers, some screwdrivers, and a hammer. For basic repairs. W: 15 lbs. Boots Value: 80 A set of reinforced rubber and Kevlar boots. They will protect the wearer from harsh chemicals for a short time, although they tend to wear out easily. W: 5 lbs. Scalpel Value: 140 The standard instrument for performing surgeries, this surgical-stainless steel knife is small but incredibly sharp. Not the best tool for a melee fight, but it will do in a pinch. If a character has a scalpel, it adds +10% to his Doctor skill. See also Melee Weapons. W: 1 lb. Gas Mask Value: 150 This mask protects against harmful gas by conferring a 100/0 Gas Resistance bonus to the wearer. Useful when someone lobs a mustard gas shell at the party. Note that it does radiation. W: 3 lbs.

not

block

Expanded Lockpick Set Value: 150 This little kit contains everything the aspiring thief needs to break into just about anything protected by a traditional lock. Gives a +70% bonus to the Lockpicking skill when used. W: 1 lb.

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Safecracking Kit Value: 200 The use of this kit is required to open most safes, and gives the user a +20% bonus to their Lockpicking skill when trying to open a safe. W: 5 lbs. Electronic Lockpick Value: 250 This valuable device is required to open electronic locks. It is crafted to overload or override the computer security on electronic doors. They are usually only available from guilds. W: 3 lbs.

thieves’

Dynamite Value: 275 An explosive device consisting of several sticks of dynamite, a detonator, and a timer to set it off. Setting dynamite takes a successful roll against the Traps skill; an unsuccessful roll means the timer was not set correctly, and will not go off on time (in other words, you might not be able to run fast enough). Dynamite does 1d20+30 points of damage to anything in its hex and all adjacent hexes when it goes off, and 1d6 points of concussion damage to anything within 4 hexes of the explosion. Medical Kit Value: 300 A first-aid kit that, when used, acts like one successful use of the First Aid skill, healing 1d10 points of damage in 1d10 minutes. Can only be used once. W: 4 lbs. Geiger Counter Value: 300 This useful little device not only detects how much radiation is in a person, it can detect harmful radiation in the surrounding area. Useful when you are wondering if that big glowing crater in the ground is dangerous. W: 5 lbs.

Plastique (C-14 Plastic Explosive) Value: 400 C-14 is an improved version of the classic C-4 plastic explosive. A gummylike substance that can be rigged to detonate, plastique is useful because it can be molded to any shape, to detonate in a concentrated area or spread along a wider surface. C14 is a white or gray substance that looks and feels a lot like Silly Putty™. Setting it takes a successful roll against Traps; like dynamite, if the roll fails, the timer is not set correctly, and will blow at the wrong time, or not at all. Plastique does 2d20+30 damage to anything within the hex in which it detonates, half damage to everything in adjacent hexes, and 1d6 concussion damage to anything within 4 hexes of the explosion. C-14 can be compounded on itself to make bigger bombs, too. W: 2 lbs. Doctor’s Bag Value: 450 The Doctor’s Bag contains various sawbones instruments for diagnosing and treating various maladies. If a character has a Doctor’s Bag, it effectively raises the Doctor skill by 15% for the purposes of treating crippled limbs and blindness only. W: 10 lbs. Electronic Lockpick Mark II Value: 500 An improved Electronic Lockpick, used by phreakers, hackers, criminals, and CIA operatives before the War. With this tool, not only can a character open any electronic lock, but it contains a variety of interfaces for other electronic devices like mainframe computers, ATMs, and pocket calculators. W: 5 lbs.

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Vehicle Repair Kit Value: 500 A toolbox containing some necessary equipment for repairing a vehicle (actually, it can be used on any complex mechanical device). Contains a computer for interfacing with the vehicle to analyze the problem and a lot of repair tools. W: 20 lbs.

after consumption. Not addictive. negative effects of this powder cumulative.

The are

Chems (Drugs)

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here are plenty of ways to chemically alter one’s body in the wastes, and not all of them are entirely beneficial. Chems always have some kind of effect on a person. Sometimes, a chem is not easily identifiable, so when you come across a big crate of syringes and want to know what they are, there is no choice but to shoot one and see what it does. NOTE: The creator of this game does not recommend this course of action in the real world. Note: All chems can change a character’s stats above and below racial limits. When a drug’s positive effects have worn off, stats return to normal and are then effected by the negative effects. Jet Value: 25 Jet is the new street drug of the postnuclear world. No one knows exactly how it was made, except there are rumors that a mafia boss had it manufactured to aid in controlling large numbers of people. Considering that Jet is addictive from the first dose, that is not difficult to imagine. Jet comes in an inhaler, much like asthma medicine. After inhalation, the user gains +2 Action Points (up to 13), +1 Strength, and +1 Perception for 1d10 hours. After this time, the character loses two Action Points, 3 Strength, and 3 Perception. Jet is 80% addictive, although it is rumored that an antidote exists for the addiction – somewhere. Healing Powder Value: 50 This is a simple healing powder that, when ingested, helps ease pain from minor wounds. It heals 1d10+5 HP when eaten, and causes the user to lose 1 Perception for 1 hour

Stimpak Value: 150 Stimpaks are small syringes with healing chems that ease pain and encourage cellular mitosis, helping cells restore themselves at an increased rate. Quite common before the war, they can be found, in one form or another, almost everywhere. When injected, the stimpak heals 1d10+10 HP. Not addictive. Voodoo Value: 50 A tribal concoction made from parts of dead critters (yummy!) Eating this powder makes someone feel invincible. For 30 minutes, Voodoo confers a +2 bonus to Agility, a +3 bonus to Luck, and a 20% bonus to Damage Resistance for Normal attacks only. After a half-hour, the user feels depressed and loses 2 Agility, 3 Luck, and all Damage Resistance from Normal attacks. Voodoo is 20% addictive. Antidote Value: 150 Made from a variety of distilled poisons and antibodies, each dose of Antidote removes one level of poisoning. Antidote tastes and looks like cough syrup, and comes in little bottles. There is no official Antidote company in the wastes, and it is often something that country doctors and traveling quacks will sell for far more than it’s worth. Not addictive. Buffout Value: 200 Buffout is a kind of temporary steroid, increasing mitochondrial activity in muscles for a brief period of time. Unfortunately, these same chemicals also impair brain function. Taking this drug is fine so long as you are about to slug it out in a boxing ring, but not recommended for operating a tank in combat. When swallowed, Buffout increases the user’s Strength by 2, Agility by 2, and Endurance by 3. The effects last one-half (round down)

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of 1d10 hours. After the effects wear off, the user loses 3 Strength, 3 Agility, and 2 Endurance for 1d10 hours. Buffout carries a 30% chance of addiction. Mentats Value: 280 Mentats increase the user’s awareness for a short period of time, but are dangerous because of the intense aftereffects and high addiction rate. An experimental drug for the military at one time, these pills became popular in the prewar streets because of the intense high. When Mentats are swallowed, the user’s Perception increases by 2, Intelligence increases by 2, and Charisma increases by 1 (everyone’s more attractive when under the influence!). The effects last 1 hour, after which time the user’s Perception and Intelligence are decreased by 4 and Charisma is decreased by 3 for 1d10 hours. Mentats have a 60% chance of addiction. After Burner Gum Value: 350 After Burner was an attempt to legalize a “safe” form of meth in the early 21st century. Tiny methamphetamine crystals were mixed in with chewing gum by some enterprising corporation. The result was a moderate dose of the drug that lasted for only a few minutes, but produced an intense high in that time. Chewing After Burner gives the user a +1 bonus to Strength and Perception, and raises the user’s Action Points by 2, for 1d10 minutes. After that time, the user loses 1 point of Strength and 2 points of Perception for 1 hour. After Burner is 30% addictive. Psycho Value: 400 Psycho is a drug that is much like a combination between Mentats and speed. This chemical cocktail is highly addictive and has horrible side effects, but the high it produces is worth it to many users. After injecting Psycho, the user’s Agility increases by 3, and their Intelligence is reduced by 3. The effects of Psycho last 1d10 hours, after which time the user loses 3 points to ALL Stats except Luck for 1d10 hours. Psycho is 50% addictive.

Super Stimpak Value: 500 This is an incredible melange of healing chems designed to aid wounded soldiers on the battlefield in crucial moments of combat. Super stimpaks come in a large clamp that fit around the arm and inject the chemicals into the user at various times, maximizing the effects of the chemicals. The whole injection process still takes less than a second. Super stimpaks heal 5d10+50 HP, but the user loses 1d10 HP after an hour from the aftershock. It is a good idea to get some other form of healing should the user’s HP drop to dangerous levels again. Not addictive. Brotherhood of Steel Trauma Pack Value: 600 A chemical concoction made by the Brotherhood for use in battle, Trauma Packs send the cellular reproduction process into overdrive, healing 6d10+60 hit points instantly, but causing 2d10+30 points of damage after 1 hour. Not addictive. Mutie Value: 700 Mutie is a chemical that reproduces the effects of the Forced Evolutionary Virus for a short time. After injecting this drug, the user gains +4 to Strength, + 4 to Perception, -4 to Charisma, and –4 to Intelligence for 1d10 hours. After that time, the user must make a successful roll against Endurance; if the roll fails, they take 4d10 points of damage. Note that super-mutants will experience no effects from taking Mutie. Mutie is 20% addictive. Ultra Stimpack Value: 1000 The most powerful healing substance on the planet, Ultra Stimpacks turn cellular reproduction into a frenzy of activity, healing 10d10+50 HP immediately upon injection. In 1d10 hours, the user must make a roll against Endurance. If that roll fails, they lose every hit point the Ultra Stimpack healed; if the roll succeeds, the user loses half of those hit points. Ultra Stimpacks are only available in technology-rich organizations like the Brotherhood of Steel or the Enclave.

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Radaway Value: 1500 Radaway, an obscure drug from prewar times, became one of the most useful after the bombs went off. It comes in an IV bag and must be taken through a drip IV over the period of about an hour. The Radaway works in the user’s system to bond with radioactive particles and wash them out. 1 day after use, the user loses 25 rads. 2 days after use, the user loses another 25 rads. Radaway, unfortunately, has an addiction rate of 20%. Rad-X Value: 2000 An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that was the idea behind these drugs. Although they were never marketed for consumer use before the war, enough were made for militaries so that they are not unknown in the postwar world. Rad-X is a pill that increases the user’s Radiation Resistance by 50% for 1d10 hours after ingestion by creating a kind of radiation “anti-body” in the user. Not addictive.

Abbreviations: TS = Top Speed in KPH (Kilometers/Hour) AR = Rate of Acceleration (in KPH/Round) BR = Braking Rate (in KPH/Round) TR = Turning Radius (in meters) DR = Driving Range on a full charge (in Kilometers) NP = Number of Passengers CW = Carry Weight (in the trunk, on the roof, etc.) – the most weight the car can carry. HP = Hit Points, in S (Structural), E (Engine), C (Controls), D (Drive System) and T (Tires/Treads – with multiplier indicating how many). [DR N: L: F: P: E:] = Damage Resistance, or the vehicle’s “Armor.” It is the same for every system, and covers the same forms of damage that armor does (Normal, Laser, Fire, Plasma, and Explosion). DR is given in a percentage.

Cars, Trucks and Common Vehicles
ot necessarily military vehicles, cars and trucks are probably going to be the most common vehicles in the wastes. Cars Corvega “Highwayman” The highwayman was the combination sportscar and family car that became the staple of American life in the years before the war. It is roomy and can travel over most kinds of flat terrain. The basic highwayman does not have a weapon, and holds 30 charges of fuel. TS: 160 AR: 60 BR: 50 TR: 5 DR: 480 NP: 5 CW: 2500 lbs. HP: S: 175 E: 50 C: 40 D: 40 T: 10 (x 4) [DR N: 10 L: 0 F: 0 P: 0 E: 10] Canyonero SUV Can you name the truck with 4-wheel-drive, that smells like a steak and seats 35? Canyonero! Sport Utility Vehicles were popular before the War due to their rugged appearance and relative safety compared to smaller cars. They are somewhat

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Vehicles

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his is a brief summary of vehicles in the Fallout universe. It should be noted that most vehicles have been damaged, modified, or otherwise changed in the hundred-plus years since the war. New vehicles, and new vehicle parts, have not been manufactured for a long time, and perishable parts like tires are especially hard to find. Vehicles are powered by energy cells, can use either Small Energy Cells or Micro Fusion Cells to recharge themselves. This is only a sample of vehicles; when a vehicle is encountered in an adventure, the appropriate statistics should be given at that time, using these as reference points. Vehicles are not “traded” on the same level as other goods, so they have no cash value per se. If the vehicle has a gun, it is noted below the vehicle’s stats. For more information on the use of a vehicle’s statistics, see Vehicle Combat, above.

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sluggish, but quite a few managed to survive at least partially intact. An SUV is not normally equipped with a weapon, and holds takes 50 charges of fuel to recharge. TS: 140 AR: 40 BR: 50 TR: 7 DR: 300 NP: 5 CW: 4000 lbs. HP: S: 250 E: 70 C: 40 D: 40 T: 15 (x 4) [DR N: 10 L: 5 F: 0 P: 5 E: 10] Roadrunner Muscle Car In the late 1960s and early 1970s, muscle cars became very popular in the United States. These cars had enormous engines – 427s and above – and were designed to drive fast and hard. They were fairly sturdy, and a fair amount survived the War. Almost every one of these you’ll find is a custom job. They are not equipped with weapons and holds 30 charges of fuel TS: 200 AR: 40 BR: 50 TR: 8 DR: 300 NP: 4 CW: 2500 lbs. HP: S: 200 E: 100 C: 40 D: 40 T: 10 (x 4) [DR N: 17 L: 5 F: 5 P: 5 E: 10] Dune Buggy Put together from bits and pieces of other vehicles, these flimsy cars are the most common motor vehicles in the wastes. Raiders will often use these to run hit-and-fade operations, as they are decent medium-range vehicles. Buggies are no match for other vehicles in speed, armament, toughness, or range. Buggies are not normally equipped with any weapons, and hold 20 charges of fuel. Buggies reduce terrain penalties for the Pilot roll by 10%. TS: 130 AR: 80 BR: 60 TR: 4 DR: 100 NP: 1 CW: 500 lbs. HP: S: 50 E: 50 C: 30 D: 20 T: 10 (x 4) [DR N: 5 L: 0 F: 0 P: 0 E: 0] Trucks ½ Ton Truck This is a basic pickup truck, with a bed in the back for carrying people and equipment. Can travel over some fairly rough terrain, depending on the kind of tires and suspension the truck has. Trucks do not normally have

Humvee A military jeep designed to carry small amounts of people over rough terrain, and to engage light infantry in combat. Can travel over many kinds of terrain at relatively high speeds. Humvees reduce terrain penalties for the Pilot roll by 20%. The Humvee takes 30 cells to completely recharge. TS: 95 AR: 60 BR: 40 TR: 8 DR: 600 NP: 5 CW: 2500 lbs. HP: S: 300 E: 100 C: 50 D: 50 T: 40 (x 4) [DR N: 50 L: 30 F: 27 P: 30 E: 45] Bus Buses, or coaches in Europe, are large vehicles designed to haul a lot of people in relative comfort. They aren’t really designed for hauling cargo, but if someone were to tear all the seats out of a bus, there would be plenty of room inside. Busses are not equipped with weapons, and fully charge with 100 charges of fuel. TS: 100 AR: 30 BR: 30 TR: 20 DR: 300 NP: 60-70 CW: 50,000 lbs. HP: S: 550 E: 175 C: 50 D: 50 T: 25 (x 6) [DR N: 25 L: 10 F: 0 P: 10 E: 20] Motorcycles Motorcycles are two-wheeled vehicles designed primarily for speed. Some are much stronger than others. Quite a few motorcycles managed to survive, due largely to the fact that they are relatively easy to maintain and require fewer parts than other vehicles. Motorcycles do not have weapons, and all add a –10% penalty to any Pilot rolls made while riding. Sport Hawg The sport hawg is a good all-around motorcycle, offering comfort and utilitarian speeds and range. These are byfar the most common types of bikes in the wastes, as they can be assembled in a matter of days from old components by a

Boats Believe it or not, there are still pockets of humanity that make their living from the water in the post-War universe. Many watercraft must rely either on muscle power or the wind for propulsion. Canoe Canoes were used in one form or another by native peoples all over the world. They are unfortunately restricted to smaller bodies of water, as they will capsize in high waves. Part of the canoe’s design is that they are very difficult to sink; you can tip one over, but they tend to float near the top of the water. It is even possible to sit in and paddle a canoe that is completely filled with water. Canoes do not use energy to recharge. TS: 10 AR: 10 BR: 10 TR: 1 DR: N/A NP: 3 CW: 1200 lbs. HP: 40 Catamaran Catamarans are keel-less sailboats. Instead of a dagger-like piece of wood or metal keeping the boat upright, a catamaran is two pontoons attached together, with a sail in the middle. Since they use triangular rigging, catamarans can tack and outperform square-rigged ships, especially in windy conditions. Catamarans are nearly impossible to turn over, unless they happen to be sailing through a hurricane. They do not use fuel. The numbers below represent average winds. TS: 70 AR: 30 BR: 30 TR: 20 DR: N/A NP: 4-20 CW: 4000-50,000 lbs. HP: 290 Aircraft There are still a few working aircraft out there. Usually, the only people who have the skills required to fly these aircraft are members of paramilitary organizations

like the Enclave. Flying an aircraft requires that the Pilot roll be made with a –50% penalty. Hot Air Balloon Not as uncommon as one might think, hot air balloons work on a principle discovered by the Greeks: hot air rises faster than cooler air. By filling a large bag with hot air, a person can rise above their station in life – so to speak. Hot air balloons are equipped with a burner to create hot air, and have a basket or gondola tied under the balloon where the aeronaut and his crew stand. Weapons are not standard on a hot-air balloon, but they would make fine bombing vehicles as well as recon craft. Unfortunately, balloons are flimsy and can easily be destroyed. Note that hot air balloons aren’t actually controllable except for the amount of hot air in the balloon, which controls altitude. The burner takes 20 charges to recharge completely. TS: 40 AR: N/A BR: N/A TR: N/A DR: 60 NP: 4 CW: 2000 lbs. HP: 20 Ultra-Light Ultralights are tiny, one-person aircraft and are probably the only working motorized, heavier-than-air vehicles in the wastes that aren’t controlled by paramilitary organizations. They might be used for recon or intimidation; ultralights could easily succumb to antiaircraft flak – or a well-placed rock. Ultralights take 30 charges of fuel to recharge completely. TS: 180 AR: 40 BR: 40 TR: 30 DR: 150 NP: 1 CW: 600 lbs. HP: 90 APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers) PCs are usually lightlyarmed, heavily armored vehicles that transport troops through and near the front lines. Some use tires, and are designed for roads, and some use treads, like tanks.

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Bradley M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) The Bradley M2 IFV is designed to protect a squad of soldiers in a combat zone. A tracked vehicle with decent armament, it is more than capable of defending itself against many other vehicles. The M2 was used extensively in the Gulf War in the late 20th century, and is one of the most common infantry vehicles in the US. The Bradley M2 takes 30 cells to fully recharge. It is armed with a TOW-II missile launcher, an MG3 machine gun, and a 25mm Cannon. In addition, there are slots in the sides where the soldiers inside can safely fire at hostiles outside. TS: 66 AR: 40 DR: 30 TR: 8 DR: 70 NP: 10 CW: 10,000 lbs. HP: S: 350 E: 75 C: 30 D: 30 T: 60 (x 2) [DR N: 75 L: 45 F: 90 P: 45 E: 60] Dragoon APC The Dragoon isn’t a single vehicle, but a family of wheeled, armored vehicles designed to meet most military and paramilitary needs. The Dragoon is totally amphibious, and is designed for more guerilla-style operations that the larger (and less subtle) Bradley. The Dragoon APC can be armed either with an AGS-17 Grenade Launcher or an MG3 machine gun turret. The Dragoon takes 40 cells to fully recharge. Its large wheels mean that it is most effective on flat or relatively flat land, or in amphibious operations. TS: 116 AR: 60 BR: 30 TR: 9 DR: 885 NP: 8 CW: 8,000 lbs. HP: S: 300 E: 75 C: 30 D: 30 T: 50 (x 4) [DR N: 75 L: 45 F: 60 P: 45 E: 60]

The wheeled LAV-150 is a much more common vehicle, being the backbone of US transport forces since its full introduction in the mid-1970s. The LAV150 is armed with a 20mm Cannon and an MG3 machine gun. It can handle offroading better than the Dragoon, but is still at home on relatively flat terrain. The LAV-150 takes 40 cells to recharge completely. TS: 112 AR: 60 BR: 50 TR: 7 DR: 800 NP: 9 CW: 10,000 lbs. HP: S: 400 E: 75 C: 30 D: 30 T: 60 (x 4) [DR N: 75 L: 45 F: 70 P: 45 E: 60] Mobile Artillery obile artillery are cannons, such as Howitzers and the like, that are set up on two wheels so they can be towed behind trucks, jeeps, humvees, or APCs. Although tanks nearly replaced these guns in the 20th Century, they are far more common weapons in the wastes than their high-maintenance, mobile, armored cousins. Each one is basically like ht other: a really big gun mounted to a mobile tripod, with two wheels on it. The statistics for these weapons are exactly the same for the tank versions, except that tanks can move and have a lot more armor. Note that none of these weapons can be targeted, and that there is only one kind of shell available for each (for now). Using these weapons take a roll against Big Guns skill. Ammunition for these weapons is very difficult to come by, and each weapon fires its own shells: 20mm, 25mm, etc. 20mm Cannon W: 1000 lbs. Dmg: 8d10+40 to everything within 10 meters of the explosion, and 1d6 concussion damage for everything within 100 meters. Rng: 0.5 KM AP S: 4 T: N/A B: N/A 25mm Cannon W: 1300 lbs. Dmg: 8d10+40 to everything within 10 meters of the explosion, and 1d6 concussion damage for everything within 100 meters. Rng: 0.5 KM AP S: 4 T: N/A B: N/A

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Cadillac-Gage LAV-150 ST The LAV-150 is a partiallyamphibious, better armed version of the Dragoon.

TS: 50 AR: 20 BR: 50 TR: 2 DR: 100 NP: 4 CW: 3000 lbs. HP: S: 400 E: 75 C: 30 D: 30 T: 90 (x 2) [DR N: 85 L: 45 F: 95 P: 45 E: 70] M551 Sheridan The Sheridan was designed as a light support tank that had the firepower to destroy a main battle tank. It is one of the few tanks that can be airdropped from the back of a C-130 Hercules, and was the first United States vehicle to arrive in Saudi Arabia in the Gulf War. It is also a major failure, as far as its design is concerned. The Sheridan was equipped with a 152mm Shillelagh Missile System, a surface to surface defense system designed to kill tanks at long range, without having to endanger the Sheridan’s crew. The US completely overhauled these tanks in the last few years of the 20th Century, and the Shillelagh system works – nominally. Sheridan tanks were common on the homefront, as they were regulated to National Guard duties after their relative failure on the battlefields of the Persian Gulf. In addition to the 152mm Shillelagh system, the Sheridan is armed with two MG3 machine guns, and takes 60 cells to fully recharge. TS: 60 AR: 30 BR: 60 TR: 2 DR: 120 NP: 5 CW: 2000 lbs. HP: S: 375 E: 70 C: 30 D: 30 T: 85 (x 2) [DR N: 90 L: 45 F: 95 P: 45 E: 75] M1A1 Abrams Credited with defeating the vastly inferior Soviet-built T-72s and T-55s Iraq used in the Gulf War, the M1 Abrams is the finest vehicle in the US Cavalry going into the 21st century. The unequaled range and reloading speed of the Rheinmetall 120mm gun, and the thickest, most effective armor of any tank, make the Abrams the most feared vehicle on the battlefield. In addition to the cannon, the Abrams has 2 M2HB support machine guns, and a TOW-II missile defense system built-in. There are rumors of M1A1s constructed with energy weapons, but these are

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anks were invented in the early 20th Century as military personnel realized the great effectiveness of improved cannon (artillery pieces), and the invention of the automobile allowed these pieces of machinery to become relatively mobile. Tanks are basically artillery cannons operated by a heavily protected crew, and their treads allow them to move over all sorts of terrain. Tanks are definitely the rarest vehicles in the wastes, and if any still work, they are probably in the possession of large organizations, or technology mongers like the Enclave or the Brotherhood of Steel. M60A2 Main Battle Tank The M60, the “destroyer from Detroit,” was introduced into the American armed forces in the 1960s and remained an important part of the military until the very end of the 20th century, when it was regulated to National Guard armories. The M60 is well-armored and is equipped with a M68 105mm Cannon and two MG3 machine guns. Although the Abrams replaced the M60 by the early 1990s, it was still highly effective against the slower, less efficient T-62s in the Gulf War. The M60 takes 60 cells to fully recharge.

(except obviously the car can’t careen over canyon walls) and increases the vehicle’s top speed by 50 miles per hour. Note that antigrav plates are ineffective over water, and driving over more than 1 foot of H2O will result in a very wet car that cannot be moved except by a tow chain.

Vehicle Enhancements

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ehicle enhancements are very rare in the wastes. They are often very costly and parts can be almost impossible to come by. These are some examples of vehicle enhancements. Slicks Value: 2000 Racing slicks are special tires either for cars or motorcycles that will increase the vehicles AR by 10 and TS by 20%. Unfortunately, they reduce the BR by 10 and increase the TR by 5 meters. Slicks also add an extra –10% penalty to the Pilot roll. Slicks also have only 5 hit points each. NOz Booster Value: 5000 A NOz (Nitrous Oxide) booster allows a vehicle to accelerate at an incredibly fast rate. When a NOz booster is used, the vehicle reaches its top speed in 1 round. Unfortunately, NOz boosters require Nitrous tanks to operate, and they are very hard on the engine - every use causes 5 HP of damage to that system. Reinforced Struts Cost: 9000 Reinforcing the struts on a vehicle increases the amount of weight it can carry by 50%. Of course, it doesn’t increase the size of the vehicle. Fuel Cell Converter Cost: 10000 A fuel cell converter makes the energy that a vehicle runs off of more efficient. It extends a vehicle’s range by 50%. Antigrav Plates Cost: 25000 Forget tires and tracks. Antigrav plates allow the vehicle to hover a few feet over the ground, so it can effectively pass over all but the rockiest ground at top speeds. Antigrav plates remove terrain restrictions

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Appendix A: A Large, Full-Color Map of Post-Nuclear California

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Appendix B: For the Novice Gamemaster
A helpful essay by Jason Mical Introduction I can still remember my very first time playing an RPG. I was about 10 years old, and my buddy and I had gotten our hands on an old 1st edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons rulebook. We paged through it, loving the pictures as much as the mysterious text that talked about rolling dice with twenty sides and battling goblins and ogres. Of course, I'd played RPGs before, but I didn't know enough to call them that - Starflight, Bard's Tale, and my personal favorite, Wasteland. Playing an RPG on the tabletop was a totally different experience from immersing myself in a computer RPG. A few years after, I saved my allowance and bought a basic Dungeons and Dragons set that was geared towards a younger, beginning audience - and I took my first steps towards GMing a game. My friend and I sat down with a large, plastic map that TSR thoughtfully provided, and moved little cardboard miniatures around. Each of us played three or four different characters, and I acted as the GM - my first time as a storyteller. The story was basic - escaping from an evil wizard's tower - but the ideas I learned stuck with me. Fast-forward about four years. Now, I'm in high school. I've tried to organize roleplaying games in the past - Mechwarrior/Battletech, ADnD, and Rolemaster - but this was the first time I could find players willing to commit to at least 1 day a week. I was set: my first real chance to be a storyteller and Dungeon Master. Now, after that campaign completed, and I've played and GMed a variety of games, I've learned a heck of a lot about GMing successfully. There's a lot that can work well for a GM and a group of players, but a lot that can work against it, too. Since this essay is designed to help the novice through the first GM jitters, and maybe provide the experienced GM with some suggestions, it's not going to be overly involved or preachy. I'm not into strict gaming, and I'm not into strict GMing either. What works for one GM and one group may not work for another, but there are some basics that, I feel, have applied to every group I've ever gamed with, on both sides of the table. That's what I hope to tell you, dear reader - what I've seen, experienced, and felt as I'm gaming. Getting Started Before the game even begins, the GM - or potential GM - needs to do a few things, first. This is probably the most important aspect of gaming: like a pyramid, a good game is built from the ground up. Of course, the GM needs a game. In this case, we'll just assume the game is going to be Fallout, but it applies to any game. Second, the GM needs to start thinking about a plot for the campaign (or, if it's going to be a one or two-session game, an adventure.) If the GM has downloaded or bought some modules, now would be a good time to start looking them over. I'll talk a little more about preparing adventures before the game later on. Third, you'll need some basic supplies. The most basic are the dice, but a notepad full of scratch paper and a pencil for everyone is always a good idea. One set of dice is the absolute minimum; it would be best if every player had a set, and some extras are available, but one set will work. In addition, for Fallout, a hex-sheet for combat is almost imperative, and something - tokens, miniatures, or cutouts – to indicate positions of characters and critters. Once you have the supplies, the second-most important aspect of gaming is players. Now, number of manageable players varies from GM to GM. Four is usually minimum, simply for variety's sake within an adventure. Six is a nice, round number and I usually limit parties to six, give or take if someone can't make it or if someone's brother is visiting that night. Any more than seven and you're looking at a painful

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experience, especially in combat and trying to manage what everyone is doing during the game. I ran one game with nine players, and I'll never do it again. The next step, and probably the hardest, is trying to get everyone together. If you've ever tried to set up a meeting with a few people, you know what a nightmare coordinating schedules can be. Usually, it works best to set aside one night a week when everyone can make it, and designate that night "role-playing night." That way, everyone can make it a part of their schedule, and you run much less risk of having players sit out because of "other engagements." It is also fairly important to stick to this schedule, since the best groups are the most stable ones. After everyone can agree on a time, you need to find a place. Setting isn't terribly important for the game, but comfort, availability of food and a bathroom, and a flat surface for a hex-sheet and dice-rolling are all important factors. My Ravenloft campaign was run entirely on my buddy's apartment's floor. The Fallout campaign I ran, and the current game I'm running, are all around a tabletop at a large dining room table. There is a marked difference in the playstyles, too: playing around a table offers a slight degree of formality. Ultimately, it may come down to whom can offer a place. Outdoors is generally not a good idea, because you can't always count on the weather and winds tend to carry important pieces of paper away. Besides, buildings are for all seasons. The Game Once you've got the essentials, the time comes to actually plan the game. The players don't usually need to worry about much other than what their characters are going to do or say; essentially, how to role-play their characters. The GM, on the other hand, has a lot more to worry about. The GM isn't just the judge, he or she is responsible for telling the story in a convincing enough way that the characters can get lost in it for a while. This means that the GM needs to be intimately acquainted with an adventure. It is always obvious when the GM is confronted with something they didn't know or didn't think about. This is a perfectly acceptable situation, but you can take some steps to minimize it. Read the entire adventure through three or four times. Spend some time imagining what you, as a player, would do if faced with the situations. Get to know the backgrounds of the main NPCs that the characters will begin to interact with. The more prepared you are, the better off you'll be. Creating the right mood for an adventure is important, too. The GM should take a lot of things into consideration, and not all of them physical. You could do some simple things to spruce up the room; if your adventure is going to be in a high-tech building, for instance, a blacklight would be a cool addition. Music is always a plus, but not a requirement. A good techno song might be great to play when the party walks into the abandoned robot factory, or a country-western song when the characters meet a real cowboy. The main thing to keep in mind is that these, and any other effects a GM might want to use, shouldn't be used so that they become commonplace and fade into the background. On the other side of the coin, though, they shouldn't be a distraction either. Effects are like mood enhancers: they can't carry the mood itself, but neither should they be wasted. When the game is actually running, the GM should know enough about the plot so that he or she can fudge things that aren't explained in the book. Players are notorious for dodging around stories, thinking of things the writers and the GMs never would have dreamed of thinking of, and foiling the best-laid plans of any GM. Rather than telling a player, "no, you can't do that!" tell them, "OK, here's what happens when you do this." If I know a player is about to do something inordinately stupid, I usually allow them to make a roll against intelligence to determine if their character "senses danger." Or, if they get themselves killed through utter stupidity, I usually allow

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them to take the action back, depending on the situation. should have seen coming, then I'm not so forgiving.

If it was something they

But, of all the things in this essay, I can't stress that last point enough: try not to restrict the players. You can put walls in front of them to try to herd them in the right direction, or introduce an NPC that will point the party back to the path of the adventure, but try to be as flexible as possible. The players won't want to play if they feel like they are rats in a maze, with someone controlling their actions. They are imagining what another person would do in a certain situation, so try to keep that in mind - what their character might do isn't necessarily what's going to be best for the plot of the adventure at any given moment! In addition, the GM has to maintain the decorum of the game. That means a lot of things: usually, it means that he or she should try to maintain the illusion of the storytelling experience. Having to look up numbers and rules every minute doesn't help; if it helps the flow of the game, use your better judgment. So, too, should you keep discussion of dice rolls to a minimum. I've found that nothing kills a story mood than breaking everything down into formulas and numbers. The real world doesn't operate on dice rolls, and although the game-world does, it is usually best to keep those numbers operating "behind the scenes," like the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz. Your players don't need to be forced to look behind the curtain. Sometimes, the GM has to become a bit of an actor. Remember that the GM is responsible for playing the role of every NPC in the game. That can get pretty difficult, especially when dealing with lots of NPCs. I find it's amusing and feasible to affect accents and acting when playing the roles of NPCs. A shopkeeper who is hiding something might have a nervous tic. A hardened desert-dweller might talk like John Wayne. A street-smart thug could talk like Andrew Dice Clay. Stereotypes work wonders here, and - like an actor - adding a bit of flavor to a character will make the players buy it immediately. When playing Dungeons and Dragons, I tend to do every Dwarf NPC in a Scottish accent. Not only does it fit the character of the Dwarves - strong, resourceful, hard to keep down - but it is a recognizable stereotype thanks to recent movies like Braveheart and Rob Roy. People know enough to associate those qualities with the Dwarf - and I don't have to violate game decorum by announcing that the Dwarf is strong, resourceful, and tough. The players can sense those qualities from the voice alone. The other thing the GM will want to watch for is tempo of the game. The GM's other main responsibility, other than telling the story, is to make sure everyone is having a good time. Of course, you can't force someone to have fun, but chances are everyone is there because they want to be there and have a great time. Tempo of gameplay is probably the easiest way to ensure that everyone is having a great time. Equal time should be given to all players; this will help tempo a lot, especially during combat. Certain players will emerge as natural leaders over the course of gameplay, and of course this isn't something you want to meddle with, but at times if it seems a player hasn't said anything for a while, you might want to ask that player what his or her character is up to. You also want to minimize looking through rulebooks or adventure books; every time you have to stop the game like that, it tugs back a little bit of that curtain you're trying to maintain. Difficulties As with anything, you're going to run into some problems. That's what makes being a GM interesting, right? The most common problems, if you've done your homework and are well-prepared, and a fairly decent actor, come from players themselves. Most of the time, players are fine. Every now and then, you'll get a few problem players, though. Usually, they are visitors, but sometimes you'll get one in your campaign group, too. Problem players are fairly easy to identify and easy to deal with. The most common

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problem player is the guy (or girl) who is solely interested in himself (or herself) having fun, at the expense of others in the group. I played a game once with this guy, a visitor, who was playing a swashbuckling pirate. Everything he did, he had to try some acrobatic maneuver, and he had to let everyone else in the group know what kind of a badass he was. It got annoying in about 60 seconds. It may have been really fun for him, but it was stealing from everyone else's fun. You can try subtle hints, or you can call a player aside and gently but firmly remind him or her that everyone is there to have fun, and could he or she please try to let the others have a turn? Short of that, you can begin to devise things that intentionally cripple the problem character, but that should only be used as a last resort. And lastly, don't invite the player back. There are two other main kinds of problem players. The first - and this is probably the most dangerous - is the avatar-player. This is the person whose entire fantasy being is wrapped up in the character, and sometimes the lines between fantasy and reality begin to become blurred. This can be really scary when it happens. Without getting too personal, let's just say that I've seen players flip out at other players before for something that happened in the game. When that happens, the GM needs to step in right away, especially if violence was involved (in my case, it was). The problem player needs to go and cool off, and the GM needs to talk to him or her about what happened - and make it damn clear that it won't happen again, or else that player is out. Putting other players at risk not only violates the prime fun directive, but it is physically dangerous. Avatar-players are the kinds of people who give roleplaying a bad name, because they are no longer separating fantasy from reality. They not only need to leave the group for their sake and yours, but they need to seek professional help. The last kind of problem player is the power-player. This person has spent hours researching the best way to make his character as good as humanly possible, and is usually strong enough to tear through the toughest enemies you can throw at them or sneak through any defenses you can make. Sure, you can start throwing harder and harder critters at the character, but at some point, it no longer becomes fun for the rest of the party. The player also knows, in game terms, that his or her character can pound the snot out of other characters, and will sometimes threaten other characters with violence in the game world. This borders on unacceptable, but primarily, it turns the game into a one-person show, where other party members and their hard-chosen skills take a back burner to one character. This is totally acceptable when only one character can perform a certain task - not everyone can pick a lock - but when it happens all the time, it becomes a problem because the other players are no longer having fun - they are simply watching one character and the GM interact. The best way to deal with these players is to meet them on their own level - in game terms, give them a condition that means they cannot always be the biggest, loudest, and the best. You have to be careful, though, because sometimes the power-player and the avatarplayer are very similar. All this isn't to try to scare off a new GM, but they are issues every GM should be aware of. I read a book on this subject before I started my first Ravenloft game, a campaign which went very well. It wasn't until later when I experienced some of these things firsthand. They can catch the GM off-guard at first, but if the GM remembers that the primary goal of the game is for all the players (and himself or herself!) to have fun, he or she should be set. Conclusions GMing is a fun experience. I often have a difficult time sitting on the other side of the table nowadays, simply because I enjoy telling the story so much, especially if I’m the one who made the story up. It isn’t for everyone, though. If you feel like you bit off more than you could chew, that’s not a problem – don’t worry about it. It really isn’t that difficult, and if it seems hard, or if you aren’t having fun, persevere. Usually, things sort themselves out on their own. If not, talk with your

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players about possibly shifting positions. the other side of table, I promise. Oh yeah, one more thing: ENJOY YOURSELF!

Things will look a little different from

Appendix C: A Guide to Writing Post-Nuclear Adventures
Another helpful essay by Jason Mical “We grew up tall and proud, in the shadow of the mushroom cloud.” - Queen, Hammer to Fall Introduction Writing adventures for the Fallout: PnP RPG essentially combines the elements of good storytelling with the necessities and freedoms of writing science fiction in the postapocalyptic environment. Thankfully, there are a lot of post-apocalyptic novels, stories, and films to which we can look to for examples of what to do (and what not to do), and the elements of telling a good story aren't much different when writing for an RPG than they are for writing a novel or short fiction; the only point of departure is that RPG stories tend to be a little more flexible on minor points, while still sweeping the players along as characters and participants in a larger plot. I've divided this essay into three parts: a basic overview of writing adventures, some tips on writing multi-adventure campaigns (or overlying plots for a series of otherwise unconnected adventures), and some thoughts on writing post-apocalyptic adventures in general. I am by no means an expert on these subjects; I simply know what I like as a player, and what I've observed works well for players when I've been playing or GMing. I will readily admit that I haven't had much experience writing adventures per se, but I have developed several plotlines for extended campaigns in Ravenloft and have studied the post-apocalyptic sci-fi genre extensively in books and movies (just ask my future wife, who wishes I would give up that "silly obsession.") Like all the other advice in this book, you can take or leave what I have to say; if I didn't think I could make some decent suggestions, I wouldn't be wasting my time (and yours). The Basics Writing individual adventures for an RPG isn't nearly as hard as it sounds. Like short fiction, there is usually very little room for character development and conflicts are usually very simple - people against nature, people against machines, people against people, or people against themselves (inner struggles). The main things to keep in mind when penning a single adventure are setting, NPCs, and length. There are some other basics to keep in mind, too, and I'll touch on those first. Usually, there is a section at the beginning of the adventure outlining the plot for the GM and gives some essential background information for NPCs, settings, enemies, and other information the GM might need to know. Unless otherwise marked as a "player handout," the adventure is usually for the GM's eyes only; not only would the players reading about the background of the bandit group spoil their characters' exploration of that for themselves in the game, it might give away some important information they would otherwise have to solve on their own. In addition, statistics for enemies are much less fun if they are simply laid out for the players to browse through; when fighting the giant, sadistic robot, it is much more of a challenge to the players if they don't know it has 100 hit points. This is one of the main lessons of adventure writing and GMing - you have to tell the players what their characters are experiencing, not the numbers game that goes on behind the scenes, otherwise you ruin the mood of the game. Descriptions of anything game related should never, under any circumstances, include statistics. "The door appears to be weak" sounds much better than "the door has 10 hit points."

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Length is easy: an adventure shouldn't take much longer than 4 hours to complete, or if it is longer and more involved, it should be divided up into approximate four-hour segments. Four hours is not only the average time span of a tabletop RPG session, it is the average attention span of your players. Believe me, no matter how many times the party fights the big old mutants in the abandoned mine, they are going to feel cheated if they can't make any progress in a matter of four or six hours. Most adventures take two sessions to complete, and have two or three main segments that last about four hours each. Longer single adventures will have lots of "mini-adventures" within them to keep things interesting; essentially, these adventures are small campaigns and the writer should probably keep in mind some of the suggestions for writing extended campaigns. Aside from length, which is a matter of mechanics, the single-most important aspect of an adventure is setting. You need to provide the GM with a lot of background information about where the adventure is taking place. If the setting has already been detailed elsewhere, you should refer the GM to that source. Otherwise, like a shortstory author, it is up to you to fill in the details. What are the locals like? Friendly? Wary? Is there a police force? Does it respond well to armed adventurers walking around? What about the enemies? What are their motivations? What are their weaknesses? Setting can even be extended to a smaller level, too: in the case of buildings or rooms, a one-paragraph description will suffice, but like a writer, you can compact a lot of meaning into that paragraph. A good place to start is the senses: describe not only how the room looks, but smells and sounds as well. "You are in a dimly-lit bar" is OK, but "The smell of stale cigarettes and cheap beer mixing with the clack of billiards balls assail you as you step into the dimly lit bar" packs a lot of punch for one sentence, and will instantly put your players in a place they recognize and will understand immediately. It may seem tedious to do that for every room, and of course the GM can embellish some of those details, so it may be best to only describe those things in the first few room descriptions and only hit important details in later ones, like the fact that there is a safe hidden behind a loose plank in the wall. NPCs are the second-most important aspect of an adventure. Like characters in a story, the main NPCs need detailed backgrounds and motives. You don't have to explain all of these in the adventure itself (although explaining enough for story purposes is always helpful, and too much never hurt!), but you should definitely keep these things in mind as you are writing dialogue and potential actions that these NPCs would take. For instance, would a ruthless bandit leader have a soft spot for brown-haired women in trouble? If so, you need to tell the GM that. Even better, make that part of his background story - maybe he fell in love with a brown-haired woman but she was killed by ruthless police who were little more than thugs, inspiring him to a life of crime that has since spiraled out of control. The possibilities are literally as endless as the human experience, but a touch of realism is always nice, too. A great trick to fleshing out NPCs, especially villains, is to give them a quirk and a decent background story that might explain that quirk. You should never have a twodimensional character. Stephen King said that all characters in novels are nothing more than bags of bones, never more than shadows and skeletons of real-life people, and this is true to a point, but how flat your NPCs will be is up to you. Everyone has motivations for doing what they do, from the most noble do-gooders to the most vile of warlords. Touching on these will not only give the GM more to work with when playing the part of these characters in the adventure, it will make the NPCs far more believable for the players - and a villain with a motive is always more interesting than one who is simply a mindless killing machine. The Story Now that you know what to focus on, the idea is to craft a story that will be fun and diverse enough that the players will remember it. Role-playing games usually focus on a mission with a "dungeon crawl," a journey through a dungeon (a generic term usually referring to a structure like a castle, a cave, or a tower) where there are a lot of

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monsters to fight. Then, the players find a bigger, badder monster and hack/shoot it until it dies, and then get whatever that monster was keeping - an item, the mayor's kidnapped daughter, or a reward from the grateful citizenry of the local town. These adventures are fine, and will make a good one-episode diversion, especially if the party needs experience points, items, or money, but they begin to get formulaic and tiresome, like romance novels or Louis L’amour westerns. There are only so many Giant Rat Kings the party will eradicate before they begin to get bored and want a different kind of challenge. That being said, adventure plots are never restricted to hacking the biggest and baddest monster 'till it dies. Perhaps the party is sent as a peace convoy to another town, and they are ambushed and left alone deep in enemy territory - the plot becomes less of a hack-n-slash than a simple matter of survival. Perhaps they have to sneak into a high-security building to recover a lost item, each party member using their talents like the members of a Mission: Impossible team. Maybe the adventure is contingent upon whether or not the party actually does make peace with the other town smoothing over past troubles, or offering something as a sign of good faith. Maybe the adventure is something as simple as getting an important message to the survivalist General who is attempting to unite a series of towns - the party has discovered an assassination plot, for instance, and must get the message through before they are assassinated themselves. The Campaign Writing campaigns, which are a series of adventures that are all related to each other, or background stories that unite a series of otherwise unrelated adventures, is a little more difficult. The process is much more like writing a novel: you still have to deal with plots and conflict, but now there are a good deal of sub-plots, character development, and (sometimes) changing settings to contend with. There are several approaches to running a series of adventures together into one coherent campaign, and I'll discuss the ones I've had the most luck with. If you are writing a background story, it might want to hinge around why the party has come together in the first place. Are they looking for someone or something? Maybe they are all members of a village that was destroyed by one particular army that they alone could never take on, but together, with enough experience and equipment, might stand a chance against? When I've written background stories, I try to make them a part of the campaign as well. My favorite method for writing a campaign of linked stories, or writing a story to link unrelated stories, is to involve the characters in an epic plot that starts as something small and innocent. I would have to point to "The X-Files" as a brilliant example of achieving this tactic; about half of the episodes involve the "plot" of the show - the conspiracy Mulder and Scully are fighting. It started small, with Mulder's obsession about aliens, but grew into something much bigger as they realized what they were up against. Other shows use this tactic as well: Star Trek: DS9 and Voyager are two notable mainstream sci-fi examples. The two Fallout games used the same strategy, actually: the Enclave was only hinted at in Fallout 2 until the player had a better idea of what he or she was actually fighting, and the final showdown didn't take place until there was much preparation and sub-plots. Like "The X-Files" though, using every adventure as a step in the campaign story can get tedious. If time allows, an adventure totally unrelated to the "main plot" might be slipped in; these not only offer fun diversions, but they allow the players to catch their breath before the next part of the main plot. Another great strategy is to offer a "flavor of the week" approach. Usually, these adventures focus on a character each week - one week it might be the repair person, the next it might be the sharpshooter. These campaigns needn't focus on the character's skills per se, but might offer that character opportunities for relationships, heroism, and so forth. The best example of this campaign style is probably the television show "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Many of the episodes that didn't focus on the ship

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usually focused on one or two characters, taking time to develop them more with other characters taking supporting roles. If your group's dynamic is good, these kinds of adventures work really well, especially if you have the luxury of time to spend making a campaign and story for each character. The Post-Nuclear Environment The first complete short story I can remember writing was one involving a man who survives a nuclear holocaust in a cave and stays up listening to the radio, waiting to hear another human voice. It was pretty simplistic, but it managed to capture the truly human essence of the post-holocaust genre - people, put in a truly desperate situation, and how they would act in that situation. The idea has always fascinated me, and it's one I've stuck with ever since (by no means exclusively, but I find it creeping into other things I write sometimes). That being said, there are some suggestions I can make to the budding post-nuclear adventure (story) writer, and some things the writer might want to avoid. Writing adventures within the post-holocaust genre isn't terrible difficult, but there are some things the writer might want to keep in mind. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction offers the information that the post-holocaust/post-disaster genre is one of the most popular in sci-fi, meaning that there is a lot out there to get inspiration from, but that most of it borders on the realms of survivalist fantasy, not meaningful science fiction. Having read a great deal of post-apocalyptic stories and books, I can confirm this; a lot of them are simple tales that glorify the idea of stockpiling guns, digging fallout shelters, and shooting anything that tries to rob you of your God-given American rights after the bombs hit. Unfortunately, these stories are usually coupled with racist propaganda or worse, and offer very little in terms of decent science fiction plots except for paramilitary types who are the only ones who can sense the impending race wars/disintegration of 'gub-mint'/etc. Some post-apocalyptic writers have gone so far as to parody this movement in the genre, most notably David Brin's "The Postman" and Michael Resig's "The New Madrid Run." In both books, the villains are the survivalist-types who have established racist feudal-kingdoms built on brute strength and the fact that they have the guns. The unforgettable Holnists in "The Postman" are violent rapists, butchers, and thieves who epitomize the worst of the ultra-conservative survivalist mentality and the ethical egoism inherent in authors like Ayn Rand. Both situations are not unlike the Enclave in Fallout 2, with its utter disregard for human life and feelings of superiority simply because it has the bigger guns. The good news in both books, however, is that the good guys manage to mobilize and fight off the threat. They become survivalists, too, but manage to do so without the propaganda found in so many other post-nuke rags available to read. Science fiction is such a varied genre, and nearly any science-fiction idea can fit within the postnuclear environment: artificial intelligence, cloning, human rights, etc. The great thing about all science fiction stories is that they take contemporary problems and place them in a totally different setting, usually offering solutions and insights as to how to deal with those issues. That kind of deep reflective power is lost on much of the post-nuclear genre, where it is reduced to silly propaganda or worse. A great example is the mid-1980s Reagan-era flick "Red Dawn," where a bunch of NRA-member highschoolers fight off a Russian invasion because THEY KEPT THEIR GUNS. Any chance for meaning is lost in the glorification of a political ideal based partially on misunderstanding and bigotry in the first place. That being said, there is plenty left to tackle in the post-holocaust genre without getting sucked into the simplistic realm of pure survivalism. As I mentioned, anything in the realm of science-fiction is possible in the post-holocaust environment, and using contemporary issues is always a great way to guarantee player interest and perhaps even stimulate some thought on the subject. Since Fallout is set anywhere from 50-200 years after the devastation, some old standards of the genre are no longer possible - scenarios like those in Pat Frank's "Alas, Babylon" or movies like "The Day After," "Testament," and "Threads" won't make good adventures, since they take place immediately after the attack. Others like the end of all human life in Larry Nevin's

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"Lucifer's Hammer" and Nevil Shute's classic "On the Beach" are out, too, because they don't really make good campaign material. Some ideas to base adventures on include the search for "Eden" or a better place ("Waterworld"), pockets of civilization gone wrong ("A Boy and His Dog," "Six-String Samurai"), fighting bigotry and hatred ("The Postman," "The New Madrid Run," Fallout 2) tribalization of society ("Earth Abides"), a religious conflict ("The Stand"), genetic engineering and mutation (Fallout, "Waterworld"), and a host of others. I've merely laid out some suggestions, and pointed to an area I think ought to be avoided, because it can be an easy one to slip into - and one I personally find distasteful because it cheapens the possibilities of the genre as a whole. I'll say it one more time: the post-holocaust genre is very much all-inclusive, because it allows the writer a great deal of imaginative freedom. It also allows the writer, the reader, and the players to speculate about what we - they - anyone - would do in an extreme situation, perhaps the most extreme of situations - the end of civilization as we know it. And, like T.S. Eliot says, the end of that exploration will be to return to our lives, where we started, and to know them more fully for the first time.

Appendix D: Character Archetypes
One the following pages lie a rogue’s gallery of wasteland inhabitants, ready and waiting for your adventuring party. Some are familiar faces, and some will seem familiar to fans of movies, television, and post-apocalyptic fiction. All are original, and all of them have a story to tell. These archetypes represent some of the basic kinds of NPCs a party might consist of or encounter in their travels. Because the SPECIAL system is so flexible, however, there is literally thousands of possibilities for character “classes” or types. Each of these characters has a simple background story explaining their motivations, moods, and how they might act in certain situations. Again, these are just examples of how to look at a character’s numbers and create a story to match, or how to write a story and create a character to match. Some of them are exceptional in areas, and others are deeply flawed (and, sometimes, a character is both). Instead of playing a power-character or inventing a power-NPC, I prefer to go for the well-rounded approach; everyone has his or her flaws. You are free to use one of these characters if you find yourself, as a GM, in a fix and need an NPC or a pre-rolled character to quickly replace a dead one. Of course, these archetypes are intended as examples, and clever GMs are encouraged to use them as springboards for ideas. It should be stressed again that these archetypes are in no way the limit of the imagination for inventing characters in the Fallout universe. I created these characters in one evening, trying to think of how I could represent a diverse enough cross-section of Wastes population and keep things interesting for readers. I don’t think I can stress this enough: let your imaginations run wild when making characters and NPCs. The truly memorable characters in novels – and people in real life – characters like Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Captain Bleigh from MobyDick, or Jules Winfield from Pulp Fiction – are characters who are far from perfect and, indeed, represent some of our most deep-seated problems and fears. Without becoming caricatures, they hold us in thrall because they are so much like us, but in an exaggerated way. They have our best qualities in spades, but their flaws are greater than ours, and (in a tragedy), it leads to their downfall or (in a comedy) it leads to the ability to overcome those flaws. Characters are us, in a way, dancing upon the stage of our minds.

Attacks by mysterious Traits: Heavy-Handed tribes, lack of supplies, and choking dust and electrical storms took Level: 1 their toll, and Harry was Experience: 0 the only squad member to stumble out of the Wastes into the swampy valleys of Louisiana. Half-dead and starving, Harry fell at the doorstep of a strange building, unconscious from weakness. Luckily, Harry fell asleep in front of a mission hospital. The monks inside didn’t recognize the strange creature, but knew Harry to be a mutated human and took pity on him. Nursing Harry back to health, the huge mutant was just getting better when the first squads of desperate super-mutants emerged, bloodthirsty, scared, and violent. The battle at the mission was swift, and the outcome was never in question. The mutant squads’ miniguns cut through the monks as they tried desperately to defend their meager supplies against the invading hordes. Harry attempted to stand with the monks, but was wounded in the conflict and fled moments before the hospital’s gates crashed inward. Betrayed by the collapse of the mutant army’s ideals, Harry no longer feels any connection to a dream he now realizes was misguided and misinformed, especially after what he’s seen the atrocities that the remains of the Master’s army have committed. Equally despondent of humans, Harry had become a mercenary, scrounging for supplies and food by selling his muscle to the highest bidder. If he’s going to travel with a party, he better be getting a large share of the loot and some extra food to boot. Current Sketch: Harry’s gruff, outer demeanor is simply a mask for the pain and betrayal he feels inside. He no longer takes pleasure in killing, but feels he is in a position where he can no longer redeem himself for what he – and “his” army – did. Whenever he gets a chance, he tries to convince other mutants of his position, but more often than not they return his overtures with gunfire.

Maverick – Gambler With Attitude
There are those that say you can’t get by on looks and luck, especially in the Wastes. Maverick is actively trying to overturn that stereotype, and so far has done a good job of it. There are two people in the world who know Maverick’s real name: his mother and his sister. If you ask them, however, they’ll just laugh and tell you to call him “Mav.” After devising various schemes to get himself out of trouble as young as age 3, Maverick adopted the moniker of a popular 20th Century television character. His mother and sister agree that it suits him, and everyone else doesn’t know better. Name: Maverick Age: 20 Sex: Male Race: Human Hair: Blonde Eyes: Green Height: 1.9 m Weight: 180 lbs. ST: PE: EN: CH: IN: AG: LK: 4 6 4 7 7 5 7 Small Guns: 25% Big Guns: 10% Energy Weapons: 10% Unarmed: 48% Melee Weapons: 38% Throwing: 20% First Aid: 22% Doctor: 16% Sneak: 20% Lockpick: 21% Steal: 15% Traps: 21% Science: 28% Repair: 21% Pilot: 22% Speech: 55% Barter: 48% (tag) Gambling: 48% (tag) Outdoorsman: 22% Traits: None

To call Maverick a card sharp is to call a priest a religious man; to him, poker isn’t just a game, it’s a way of life, and it’s one he’s done very well at. He maintains a jovial approach to life, drinking and gambling his way into the hearts and lives of countless women (and men), whom he bilks just as surely as the gamblers around the table at the local casino. Of course, all this action has made Maverick his fair share of enemies, and he is constantly on the move, looking for the next great scheme or payoff. Although he enjoys a fine drink with his well-won money, Maverick stays clear of substances that would cloud his mind or indebt him to a dealer. He dresses well, and you can always spot him in a crowd. Mothers tell their daughters that “he’s the one I’ve been warning you about,” but that doesn’t seem to stop them from falling for him just the same. Maverick’s life is an exciting one, but he knows that it is simply a before his luck runs out. So far, he’s managed to avoid a major scuffle smoothing over the most dangerous of situations (and still making off most of the time), but if something were to come down to a real fight, that he wouldn’t last very long. matter of time or conflict by with the cash, Maverick knows

Because of this, Maverick has been strongly considering settling down and establishing himself in a career with more of a future. There always seems to be some reason to keep going; another beautiful girl, or one last big payoff. After all, why settle for less when life itself is more interesting? Current Sketch: Maverick travels around gambling and cheating his way into fame and fortune. He isn’t evil, or even especially self-interested, but enjoys the thrill of a good challenge, and he considers people the biggest challenge of all. As his pappy used to say, “it’s a better life than herding Brahmin.” Maverick agrees.

Needlepoint quickly moved Level: 1 through the Vault City Experience: 0 ranks, although promotion to an officer’s position was limited by her failure on several simple tests. She was assigned to a crack tracking and attack squad, training on Vault City’s arsenal of Energy Weapons, finding her innate skill nearly equal to her talent with a rifle. Once, on an attack, Needlepoint’s squad came across a party of ghouls. Hiding behind a rock outcropping, Needlepoint’s commanding officer ordered her to take the mutated scum out once and for all. Needlepoint was confused; the ghouls had done nothing wrong, and although she had been taught ghouls were less than human, she realized they felt pain. As the group of mutants tried to catch a Brahmin, Needlepoint’s CO repeated the order. She took aim, and the ghouls were lumps of melted flesh before they realized what happened. That night, back at the barracks, Needlepoint ghouls out of her mind. She realized there was position, and realized that her talents were Without a word to anyone, Needlepoint left Vault couldn’t get the image of the dying something fundamentally wrong with her being utilized for something immoral. City that night, never to return.

Current Sketch: Since leaving Vault City, Needlepoint has made her way slowly southward, eventually reaching the New California Republic. She picks up the occasional odd job guarding caravans when she needs food and transport, but otherwise stays as far from civilization as possible. Needlepoint has spent a lot of time in Tribal villages, where she picked up her current nickname. The simply, non-judgmental lifestyle appeals to her; she prefers an environment where she isn’t judged as much on intelligence as ability. Needlepoint certainly knows she is attractive, and often uses this to her advantage on jobs. Although she wants to find a tribal village to stay in, Needlepoint is constantly on the move, trying to find a place untainted by the bigotry she fled in Vault City. She may have to travel for a long, long time.

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Crystal – Speed Demon Extraordinaire
Before the war, Crystal was a mechanic at a Daytona race track. Ever since she was a little girl, she loved the fast cars and excitement of the race whenever her mother took her to the tracks, and when Crystal was in school, she learned all she could about the operation of these mighty machines. When Crystal was 15, she got a part-time job in an auto-body shop, learning everything she could about engines and mechanics. Once she exhausted that source, Crystal lied about her age to get a job at a local drag-race track. She quickly gained a reputation as the greatest mechanic in the circuit. Name: Crystal Age: 129 Sex: Female Race: Ghoul Hair: Red Eyes: Black Height: 1.46 m Weight: 97 lbs. ST: PE: EN: CH: IN: AG: LK: 3 13 3 2 9 6 5 Small Guns: 29% Big Guns: 12% Energy Weapons: 12% Unarmed: 46% Melee Weapons: 36% Throwing: 24% First Aid: 38% Doctor: 37% Sneak: 20% Lockpick: 29% Steal: 18% Traps: 29% Science: 36% Repair: 47% (tag) Pilot: 58% (tag) Speech: 10% Barter: 8% Gambling: 40% (tag) Outdoorsman: 24% Traits: Fear the Reaper

Level: 1 Although her services were Experience: 0 always in demand, more than anything Crystal wanted to race the cars she worked on. Other drivers would only let her race in practice situations; although her times were on par with the best racers, Crystal was never allowed to enter, as she didn’t have to sponsorship necessary to race with her own car. Crystal happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when the bombs went off; unsure of what happened exactly, her and a small group of others were transformed into ghouls when a nuke exploded almost directly over their heads. Thinking she was dying, Crystal made her way to her beloved car track, managing to hide several vehicles in a garage before the nuclear winter began in earnest. Several other ghouls managed to find Crystal, and a small community sprung up at the race track. After the nuclear winter died down, Crystal took her meticulouslymaintained vehicles out of storage and finally felt the exhilaration she missed before the war. Before long, the community ran out of Micro Fusion cells to power the vehicles, and set out searching for more. Crystal was among this party. Having had very little contact with the rest of the world, they assumed the first people they encountered would be merchants. Unfortunately, these people were slavers. Crystal has since managed to escape, but is so far from home, she doesn’t know what to do. Current Sketch: Crystal is very much out of her element in the real world, and any communication skills she once had are quite rusty. She searches desperately for a way back to her race track, but has had several encounters with biker gangs that have whetted her appetite for high-speed adventure. Crystal is beginning to realize the potential for a skilled driver in the wastes, and is looking forward to utilizing her skills for the highest bidder.

Cookie – Mutant Hermit-Philosopher
Cookie was one of the first people the Master turned into a supermutant. Already middleaged when dipped, Cookie is now getting on in years and beginning to feel his age a little. Even before his experience with the FEV virus, Cookie was an intellectual instead of a fighter, choosing the pen instead of the sword. Cookie went along with the mutant armies not because he believed in their ideologies, but because he had no other choice and was interested in selfpreservation. When the Master was killed, Cookie took the first chance he could and fled. Name: Cookie Age: 80 Hair: Black Eyes: White ST: PE: EN: CH: IN: AG: LK: 5 8 5 5 7 8 2 Sex: Male Race: Mutant Height: 2.85 m Weight: 350 lbs. Small Guns: 37% Big Guns: 16% Energy Weapons: 16% Unarmed: 56% Melee Weapons: 46% Throwing: 52% (tag) First Aid: 32% Doctor: 15% Sneak: 29% Lockpick: 26% Steal: 24% Traps: 46% (tag) Science: 32% Repair: 21% Pilot: 32% Speech: 25% Barter: 20% Gambling: 8% Outdoorsman: 44% (tag) Traits: One-Hander

Disguising himself under a Level: 1 robe, Cookie wandered Experience: 0 through ruins of cities, never staying long in one place. People were always suspicious, and outright hostile when Cookie revealed his mutant nature. Eventually, Cookie wound up in a city library. He had learned to read while serving the Master, and here were stacks of books at his disposal. After a year of solid reading, armed with Plato, Nietzsche, Buddha, Thoreau, Gandhi, and countless other thinkers, Cookie decided a life of quiet contemplation was preferable to constant hiding and living on the fringes of society. Using skills learned while in the field, Cookie became proficient at hunting game and built himself a cabin high in the Sierra Nevada, choosing a small forest by a pond. Having finished his books and filling hundreds of notebooks with scribblings, poems, essays, and random thoughts, Cookie realized he was at a bit of an impasse. He knew a great deal about the world, and had formulated his own personal philosophies, but he was unaware of the practicality of his ideas. What he needed, Cookie decided, was to re-enter society and put his notions into practice, taking them beyond book theory to everyday use. The next day, Cookie bid his cozy cabin goodbye and set off for the nearest town, ready to teach any crowd willing to listen about what he had learned on the mountain. Current Sketch: Cookie still dislikes crowds and civilization, but sees them as necessary evils to overcome if he is ever going to teach anyone his theories of life. So far, Cookie’s notions have played out quite well, and his good luck has been encouraging. His Walden-like time on the mountain gave him skills for survival, so he is never at a loss for basic supplies, but Cookie enjoys traveling with groups in order to reach new places and teach more people about his philosophy.

Somehow, the pimps that Level: 1 ran the brothel he lived Experience: 0 in managed to upset the wrong gangsters, and one evening when Shadow was 15, he awoke to the sounds of gunfire and screaming. Hiding under a bed, Shadow watched as the people he knew all his life – people who loved him only for the things he stole, but the only family he had ever known – were gunned down ruthlessly. Taking careful note of the leader’s face, Shadow vowed revenge. Peddling his skills first to petty criminals, Shadow eventually managed to begin working for the same crime family that butchered his mother. By the time he was twenty years old, Shadow was considered a Made Man and one of the most trusted members of the family. His breaking and entering skills were in high demand, and he was living the good life in his own penthouse suite. The constant specter of revenge hung over his life the entire time. One night, Shadow turned his skills against his adopted family, breaking into the bedroom his sworn enemy was occupying and brutally torturing and killing him unbeknownst to the other family members. Before his crime was discovered, Shadow was already hundreds of miles into the Wastes, never looking back at the stain of New Reno. Current Sketch: Shadow is the consummate wanderer, always keeping to himself and dealing with other people only when absolutely necessary. He is overly paranoid, and sees plots against him that don’t exist. Shadow has a difficult time trusting and relating to other people, and considers himself the only friend he ever needs. Lately, Shadow has realized that his life has very little meaning and direction, and is attempting to find a new cause worthy of his skills.

GoAnna – Deathclaw Huntress
GoAnna is a young member of a Deathclaw tribe that lives just east of the Great Wastes. Up to this point, her life has been fairly typical, although she is much more intelligent than most of her Deathclaw brethren. GoAnna realizes that her options within the tribe are somewhat limited; she can either choose to be a warrior, or bear pups. The idea of spending her life tied to one place and caring for children does not appeal to her, so she opted to become a warrior. Her training is nearly complete, but GoAnna’s tribe requires one last test before a member can be declared a full warrior: a brief quest into the outside world. Name: GoAnna Age: 4 Hair: None Eyes: Black ST: PE: EN: CH: IN: AG: LK: 12 5 5 1 5 12 2 Sex: Female Race: Deathclaw Height: 3.1 m Weight: 395 lbs. Small Guns: 48% Big Guns: 24% Energy Weapons: 24% Unarmed: 78% (tag) Melee Weapons: 68% (tag) Throwing: 48% First Aid: 34% Doctor: 15% Sneak: 39% Lockpick: 27% Steal: 36% Traps: 27% Science: 20% Repair: 15% Pilot: 34% Speech: 5% Barter: 4% Gambling: 8% Outdoorsman: 40% (tag) Traits: Bruiser

Bidding her parents and siblings goodbye, GoAnna recently set off on her quest: to venture into human civilization and, without killing something indicating she had been there. GoAnna donned a robe and town, using her learned speech patterns to get along relatively should carry on a conversation with people, and GoAnna suddenly much bigger world than her simple Deathclaw village.

anyone, bring back made for the nearest well. At least she realized there is a

Since that initial encounter with civilization, GoAnna has wandered from small town to small town, concealing her true nature from everyone, but utterly fascinated with everything she encounters. She feels that the world lies open before her like a book, and she is ready to begin turning the pages. Current Sketch: Although GoAnna feels strong loyalties to her tribe and her family, the time has come to make a decision. She wants very much to experience the wider human world, and intends to do so at some point. She also knows that if she forsakes her village, she will forever be an outcast and an alien, denied the chance to see those she cares about the most. Unfortunately, GoAnna also knows that her charade cannot go on forever, and sooner or later someone well uncover her real identity. She knows that her strength is with people who will understand her for who she is, not the mask she puts on for civilization. Unfortunately, GoAnna has not encountered anyone she feels she can trust enough to reveal her true nature to, let alone consider a friend or companion she can rely upon if things turn ugly at some point.

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Rufus – Loyal Canine Companion
Rufus began his days as a much-loved puppy in the household of a wealthy rancher in the New California Republic. Although he was a mutt rescued from the local humane society/sausage factory, Rufus was housetrained and loved like a member of the family. Before he was a year old, Rufus’s owners lost their entire fortune in a bad business deal. Knowing that food would be scarce, Rufus – who was always smarter than the average dog (and some humans he knew) – decided that a life on the streets might be preferable to a fate on the dinner table. Choosing instead to rely on his wits, Rufus began the life of a stray on the streets of Shady Sands. Name: Rufus Age: 2 Sex: Male Race: Dog Hair: Blackish Eyes: Brown Height: 0.98 m Weight: 87 lbs. ST: PE: EN: CH: IN: AG: LK: 7 4 4 2 4 14 3 Small Guns: 59% Big Guns: 28% Energy Weapons: 28% Unarmed: 92% (tag) Melee Weapons: 82% Throwing: 54% First Aid: 36% Doctor: 13% Sneak: 66% (tag) Lockpick: 28% Steal: 42% Traps: 28% Science: 16% Repair: 12% Pilot: 36% Speech: 10% Barter: 8% Gambling: 12% Outdoorsman: 36% (tag) Traits: Domesticated

Rufus found himself quite proficient at surviving, managing to stay scraps of food from passing children and disappearing when the humane society came discovered an entire underground population

low and out of sight while scavenging for garbage heaps. He learned the value of looking for more sausage ingredients, and of dogs like himself.

Perhaps it was something natural inside of him, or perhaps it was memories of a better life, but Rufus longed for the touch of a human being behind his ears. His heart yearned for the praise he got when fetching a stick or a ball, or the little treats he used to get for doing something as simple as sitting or laying down. Although he was happy in his new life, he wasn’t completely content, and the more Rufus thought about what he was missing, the more he realized he truly wanted something else. Choosing for the second time to leave a family, Rufus returned to the streets, this time falling right into the clutches of the humane society. Unfortunately, Rufus grossly misjudged the number of people who wanted full-grown dogs, and was due to be turned into a “Real Beef Hot Dog!” when, by chance, he escaped from his cage in a moment of confusion. Taking his chances in the Wastes, Rufus left the gated walls of the NCR behind and began utilizing his survival skills while traveling the wasteland, looking for a human who cared for him in ways other than as a main course. Current Sketch: Rufus’s encounter with the humane society left him very wary of human beings, and he is intelligent enough to differentiate between those who wish to eat him and those who wish to love him. Although it may have made him more aware of the realities of the post-nuclear world, the encounter did nothing to dampen his optimism, and Rufus is confident he will eventually find a master who will love and care for him in the same way that his family did so long ago.

Unfortunately, the adventuring party that decanted Vax could not take him with them; when they left the robot factory, the left the new robot as well. Unsure what to do and expecting further programming instructions, Vax only knew that he didn’t want to return to the state of semi-existence in the endless darkness of the factory. Vax searched through the factory to find useful resources, managed to locate a working information nodule, and uploaded several maintenance programs. Imbibed with a sense of purpose, Vax managed to repair the factory’s main computer, opened the doors, and rolled off into the Wastes. Vax’s programming did not prepare him for the world that met him outside. He was made aware of the War through information databases, but didn’t realize the conflict’s devastating result. Vax felt no emotions one way or the other, but his processes came to the inevitable conclusion that he would not be able to serve in the capacity he was originally designed for. His programming didn’t necessarily allow for this turn of events, so he defaulted to information-seeking, looking for new code that would allow him to be useful. Current Sketch: Vax wanders the Wastes, moving from town to town in an attempt to seek new information. His treads are still new, but his once-shiny exoskeleton is now beginning to corrode with dirt and grime. Everywhere he’s gone, Vax has encountered nothing but hostility. Luckily, he hasn’t been attacked yet, but Vax does not understand the danger he’s in. Many people consider the idea of a talking robot absurd, and are more interested in Vax for his obvious technological parts than in helping him “find himself.” Even scientists he has come across only wanted to disassemble him to re-discover what makes machines like Vax tick. Since Vax has no emotions, this doesn’t bother him in the least, but he probably doesn’t have long before he can no longer drive his way out of a situation.

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Appendix E – A Sample Adventure
“One Mask, Many Faces” is an adventure for the Fallout PnP Roleplaying Game. It is recommended for character levels 1-3, and is intended to be the first adventure in an ongoing campaign.

Many Faces, One Mask
An Adventure for the Fallout PnP RPG
Recommended for Levels 1-3

GM’s Notes
Many Faces, One Mask takes place roughly 100 years after the War in Southwest Missouri and Northeastern Oklahoma. Although it is intended to be run as the first adventure in a complete campaign, Many Faces, One Mask can be run independently. The setting is fairly universal, and the adventure can easily be adapted to any scenario, although places with a strong religious presence work the best. Remember that this adventure is for the GM’s eyes ONLY; players who read certain parts of this text will spoil the fun of trying to solve a deep, multi-layered puzzle. Adventure Overview The adventure opens with the characters looking for work in the city of Springfield, in the old state of Missouri. How they came to be together is a problem for the GM to sort out; perhaps the group is a bunch of childhood friends, or perhaps they were all laid off from a factory together. At any rate, the mayor of Springfield hires the characters to make a personal delivery for him: a very important letter that he must get to a relative in the ruins of Tulsa, to the south. He suggests that the characters try to get a job guarding a merchant caravan, so they can be paid for their troubles. In addition, he will pay them a large sum of money when the characters return with his relative’s answering letter. The characters then locate a caravan and take a job as guards. It leaves the very next day. On the way to Tulsa, the caravan is attacked. The raiders aren’t all that tough, and everyone should survive. Once arriving at Tulsa, the characters find an extremely oppressive religious environment, run by a church called the True Believers. They deliver the mayor’s letter to his sister, and she informs the party that it will be a week before she can give them a letter in return. The characters should then look for something to do, and find that the outpost town of Okmulgee is in need of supplies. Okmulgee is a supplier of Tulsa’s wood, and the party is promised a rich reward for their troubles. This is the point at which the sample adventure ends; for the rest of the adventure, you’ll have to download the complete “Many Faces, One Mask” off the Fallout PnP website. Once arriving in Okmulgee, the town is attacked by a strange tribe from the Great Wastes. Riding horses and attacking like ghosts, the tribe does some serious damage to the town. Battered but not broken, the party is sent back to Tulsa with word of the attack and the message to send re-enforcements. Once the party shares the news, they contact the mayor’s sister and she gives him a missive to take back to Springfield. Once this task is complete, the characters get some experience and supplies. The Background Story Of course, nothing is what it seems in this adventure. Tulsa is ruled by a extremely strict religious group called the True Believers, who teach a modified version of late 20th-Century fundamentalist Christianity. Using guilt and fear, they have a near chokehold on Tulsa’s 40,000 people, and are currently expanding their operations to

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other cities. The True Believers have had their eye on Springfield for quite a while, and it is their next planned conquest.

The

True

Believers are far more than just a religious organization with a grasp on a group of people. They use their religion as a front for business operations, many of them illegal – and many of which are the same things they preach against in their pulpits every Sunday. The wood operation in Okmulgee is a front for a lucrative slave trade, and the manufacture of drugs that are covertly distributed to Tulsa’s population keeps the people in a constant state of guilt-riddled addiction while they work in factories owned by some of the highest members of the Believer’s church, and continue to consume goods produced by these factories. Of course, there are only six people who know the full extent of the true nature of these operations – a council of businessmen known as the Elders. Each Elder is a “priest” of the True Believers, and they are all amazed at how well their little operation is going. In addition, each is hungry for more, and expansion northward and eastward, into the fertile, resource-rich land in Arkansas, is their next goal. Of course, the mayor of Springfield recognizes this threat. When strange drugs began appearing on the streets of Springfield, he ordered a full investigation and found they came on caravans from Tulsa. He is aware that the Believers are likely a front for business, and that they would like to take over Springfield, but he isn’t fully aware of the extent to which the web has been woven. His “sister” is really a spy attempting

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to gain access to the highest levels of Believer knowledge, who has met with moderate success. The mayor isn’t interested in saving his own people so much as he is interested in saving his own business interests. Given half the chance, he would extend his own empire into Tulsa, but is content with his holdings in Springfield and the entertainment industry in Branson, not far to the south. The Tribals that attack the party in Okmulgee are very much aware of the Believer’s plans, as these tribals are often the targets of slave raids. They are a tribe of Indians that moved to reclaim land the White Man once stole, and then befouled with radiation. They are extremely well equipped, even possessing energy weapons, as they have learned to adapt to conditions within the Great Wastes and have raided old military installations for supplies. Their attack on Okmulgee was merely testing the town’s defenses; although there is not a single Indian leader, many tribes have banded together and are planning to attack Tulsa, rescue their enslaved brethren, and attempt to destroy the Believers.

Chapter 1 – The Adventure Begins
Overview – Springfield, Missouri Springfield is home to about 10,000 people. Since the town was spared direct bombing in the War, many of the buildings are relatively intact. Springfield is run by a man named John Dotson, who calls himself the mayor. Dotson is a gray-haired man in his mid-50s, who became rich after getting an abandoned factory in operation again, turning out goods like clothes and shoes. His business flourished, and he opened a series of factories in Springfield, giving the people a sense of purpose, a higher quality of life, and bringing himself considerable wealth. It wasn’t long before Dotson built a power plant, bringing electricity back to Springfield. Most of Springfield’s residents live in the old downtown area since the buildings are in such good shape, and many of those that do are employed in Dotson’s factories. The main currency in Springfield is a tiny coin called a gold bit. Gold bits are simply round pieces of metal covered with gold paint, but since there are very few people with access to gold paint, there usually isn’t a whole lot of counterfeiting. Bits are also accepted in Tulsa. For a map of central downtown Springfield and a description of important places, see below.

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Locations 1. The Glowing Lights Bar – The Glowing Lights is Springfield’s local watering hole, and the most likely place for the characters to start the adventure and find work. This smoky, dingy bar is in the basement of a large apartment complex, and the crowd changes from the usual drunks and prostitutes early in the evening to toughs and gangsters later on. One the far wall is a notice board about work; this is where the characters can find notices about Mayor Dotson needing a favor, and work in the Brahmin yards west of town. The Glowing Lights is run by a surly, bald-headed giant of a man named Jason Lester. Jason is friendly enough, but if anyone causes trouble, they can expect to get a lot of it back. Jason Lester – Bartender (Level 1). HP: 36 DT: 2 DR: 20% AC: 14 To-Hit (Small Guns): 70% Weapon: Pump-Action Shotgun (W: 4 Dmg: +12 Rng: 15 AP S: 5 T: N/A B: N/A), 40 shots 12-guage ammo (1d10). 2. The Springfield Power Plant – This enormous, brick-and-mortar building is surrounded by rusty razor wire. It is here that Springfield produces the electricity that runs the town by burning old junk from before the War (and there is plenty of it to scavenge). Unauthorized personnel are not allowed inside, and the guards will physically restrain anyone attempting to enter. 3. The Old Town Square – The town square is left from the pre-War days. It used to house a park with a fountain; now, it is an ad-hoc farmer’s market where people from surrounding farms and tiny towns come to sell their produce in exchange for supplies from the factories. The farmers stay from sunup to sundown, and after night falls, you can buy almost any kind of chemical from dealers who hang out in the shadows. Except the dealers to demand at least 200% of a drug’s list value; Springfield isn’t the easiest place to smuggle drugs into and out of. 4. Residences – These brick and metal buildings clubs before the War. Since then, they have citizens. Most apartments are one or two room live next to each other so they can break down These buildings are anywhere from five to fifteen were originally department stores and become apartments for Springfield’s affairs, and extended families often walls and give each other more room. stories high.

5. Police Station – This long, squat building houses Springfield’s police department. Of course, Springfield’s finest are all owned and controlled by Dotson. Cops (x40) HP: 30 DT: 3 DR: 30% AC: 18 To-Hit (Small Guns): 60% Weapon: Beretta Silverhawk (Single or Double Shot) (W: 5 lbs. Dmg: +12 Rng: 14 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A), 40 shots 12-guage ammo (1d10). 6. Bob’s Guns N’ Pawn – The only sanctioned weapons store in town, Bobs Guns N’ Pawn capitalizes on his monopoly status and charges 200% the listed price for guns and ammunition. Bob is a crusty old coot who chews tobacco and likes to spit on his tired old hound, Blue. Bob’s stock is listed below. Bob pays a large sum to Dotson for “job security.” Bob’s Guns N’ Pawn: Brass Knuckles (x3); Club (x5); Sledgehammer (x1); Combat Knife (x1); Colt 6520 10mm Pistol (x3); VP91z 9mm Pistol (x2); Winchester 12-guage Shotgun (x1); 10mm JHP (x10); 9mm JHP (x20); 12-Guage Shells (Buckshot) (x10); 12-Guage Shells (Slugs) (x2). 7. General Store – Run by Bob’s ornery son Bob Jr., the General Store is a wood-frame building with a rather thin stock. Aside from the farmer’s market, which is a hit-ormiss situation, the General Store is the only place where some items are guaranteed to be in stock. Like the gun store, the General Store will charge 200% of the value of most goods.

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General Store – Flare (x10); Lighter (x3); Flashlight (x2); Shovel (x1); Boots (x10). 8. Brahmin Yards – The Brahmin yards take up most of western Springfield. They are made up of corrals where Brahmin are held either for drives to other cities or slaughter at one of the tiny slaughterhouses interspersed throughout the yards. This is where Brahmin drive caravans leave for Tulsa and other parts of the countryside. The Brahmin yards are a dusty, open area that sits on the remains of Interstate 44, the main road to Tulsa and St. Louis. 9. Mayor Dotson’s House – Mayor Dotson lives in the rambling Victorian house left over from Springfield’s railroad days in the 1850s. Dotson completely restored the structure, and its quiet elegance is almost out-of-place in the wastes. Dotson’s house is protected by his personal, well-armed bodyguards. Bodyguards (x7) HP: 50 DT: 3 DR: 30% AC: 20 To-Hit (Small Guns): 87% Weapon: AK-47 (W: 10 lbs. Dmg: +7 Rng: 40 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A), 7.62mm (x100) (1d8). Encounters The Job The players should take the time to get acquainted with each other and become comfortable with their characters. Somehow, they should end up in the Glowing Lights Bar and see the job notice. The job notice reads: “Looking for work? Like to travel? Mayor Dotson needs reliable delivery specialists to run correspondence to Tulsa. Inquire in person at the Mayor’s house.” That should be enough of an incentive to encourage the players to go to the mayor’s house. If not, Jason the bartender can give the party encouragement as well, by speaking well of the mayor. The Mayor’s House When the party arrives at the mayor’s house, they will find the lights blazing if it’s nighttime, or the windows open if it’s daytime. After knocking on the door, the party is met by a huge, muscled guard who doesn’t give his name. The guard ushers them into a formal sitting room, where Mayor Dotson will come out to meet them. For complete info on the Mayor, see the NPC roster, below. Once the party is in the room, read the following. After a few moments wait, an average-looking, gray-haired balding man comes down the stairs and steps into the sitting room. He has the warm, measured smile of a politician as he shakes your hands in turn. “So, you’re looking for delivery work? That’s great. Usually, I ask my own people, but for this job, it might be better if I didn’t send one of my usual couriers. The job is simple: run a sealed letter to my sister in Tulsa, about seven days journey south. After a few days, she’ll write you a letter to bring back to me. When I get that letter, sealed, and I know my letter to her arrived intact, everyone gets 200 pieces of gold each. I’m not really interested in Tulsa’s authorities knowing about this little exchange, so your reward is dependant upon whether or not you are noticed as well. So, what do you say?” Give the party a few minutes to discuss the mayor’s proposal. If they agree, skip to the text below. If they attempt to bargain, the mayor will pay as much as 250 per person. If the party demands any more than that, the mayor will bid them good night and the adventure more or less ends. When the party agrees, read this:

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“Excellent! My sister’s name is Maria Dotson, and you can find her in Tulsa’s Residential Zone. I don’t recommend traveling to Tulsa alone. You’re best bet is to try and find a caravan heading that direction and ask if you can travel with them. Unless there are any questions, I’ll see you in half a month.” The mayor will answer basic questions about Springfield, but merely refers to the letter as “personal correspondence.” If, at any point, the party opens the letter to read its contents, they will either be tearing the envelope or breaking the seal. Although Maria will pretend not to notice this in front of the characters, she will include something about it in her letter to Dotson. Knowing his security has been compromised, Dotson will pay the characters only 100 gold bits and then ask his goons to have the characters executed at the first opportunity. The Caravan Once the characters leave Dotson’s house, they almost run into a scarred, jovial man named Jeremiah. Jeremiah is a caravan driver about to leave for Tulsa whom Dotson contacted shortly after the characters arrived. After leaving the mayor’s house, read the following: Walking past Mayor Dotson’s neatly manicured lawn, you take a moment to marvel at the simply beauty of his flower gardens. As you do so, you almost run headlong into a huge, bald man covered with scars. The man laughs and says, “excuse me, friends. I nearly didn’t see you. I’m Jeremiah, the best caravan driver in this area.” He sticks out his meaty hand, ready to shake. If the characters shake Jeremiah’s hand, or otherwise greet him, read the following. If they don’t warm up to him, Jeremiah merely shrugs and walks into Dotson’s house. After shaking your hand vigorously, Jeremiah sizes you up. “You look like a group that can handle themselves. I’m lookin’ for some hired guns to go on a run with me down to Tulsa. What do you say? We’d leave tomorrow morning, crack of dawn.” If this scenario seems too good to be true, it’s because it is. Jeremiah is one of Dotson’s agents, but cannot deliver the letter to Maria himself. His caravan is also somewhat undermanned, so he’s willing to pay each character 50 gold bits. When the characters agree, Jeremiah tells them to meet him at the Brahmin yards tomorrow morning before the sun comes up (about 5:00 am). The party is then free to spend the evening however they wish.

Chapter 2 - The Brahmin Drive
If the characters did not accept Jeremiah’s offer and make it to the Brahmin yards the next morning, they will find him ready to leave and more than willing to hire them for a (much reduced rate) of 20 bits each. Regardless, the caravan pulls out of Springfield and begins moving down I-44 just as the sun is beginning to rise. There are two hundred head of Brahmin and seven cowboy guards besides the characters and Jeremiah. For a complete description of Jeremiah, see the NPC roster, below. Guards (x7) HP: 40 SQ: 10 AP: 8 DT: 2 DR: 10% AC: 14 To-Hit (Small Guns): 55% Weapon: H&K MP-9 10mm SMG (W: 7 lbs. Dmg: +6 Rng: 25 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A), 150 shots 10mm JHP ammo (1d6). For the most part (see below), the trip goes smoothly. Allow the characters to interact with Jeremiah and the other cowboys, or else try their hand at Brahminwrangling (always interesting when there is no horses).

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Random Encounters If the GM wishes, he or she can cook up a couple of random encounters for the party, to either add to the story or build suspense (or just make travel time seem a little less dull). Some suggestions: Molerats The caravan is attacked in the night by a hungry tribe of molerats. Molerat (x17) HP: 20 SQ: 7 AP: 7 DT: 1 DR: 5% AC: 15 To-Hit (unarmed): 80% Attacks: Claw (3 AP, D: 1d8), Bite (75%, 3 AP, D: 1d8, Poison type A). XP: 100 Dead Believer Lying in the road is a dead person. If inspected, the blood appears to be fresh and rigor mortis has not yet set in. The body (it can be male or female) is dressed in a long, purple robe and has a large silver cross on a chain around its neck. The person died by a single arrow wound to the head. Raider Attack Near nightfall (6:00) on the third day, the caravan passes through an area where I-44 cuts through a rocky hill. There are 20-meter-tall cliffs on either side of the road. While passing through, a Raider party attacks, first by dragging a makeshift barrier across the road made of twisted pieces of metal and wood, effectively stopping the Brahmin, and then attacking from the cliffs above and behind the barrier. Raiders (A) (x7) HP: 30 SQ: 12 AP: 8 DT: 1 DR: 15% AC: 15 To-Hit (Small Guns): 51% Weapon: H&K MP-9 10mm SMG (W: 7 lbs. Dmg: +6 Rng: 25 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A), 50 shots 10mm JHP ammo (1d6) XP: 50 Raiders (B) (x7) HP: 40 SQ: 10 AP: 8 DT: 2 DR: 10% AC: 14 To-Hit (Small Guns): 65% Weapon: Winchester 12-Guage (W: 5 lbs. Dmg: +12 Rng: 14 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A), 40 shots 12 Gauge ammo (1d10) XP: 60. Raiders (C) (x7) HP: 45 SQ: 10 AP: 10 DT: 2 DR: 10% AC: 14 To-Hit (Small Guns): 71% Weapon: Desert Eagle 44 (W: 5 lbs. Dmg: +10 Rng: 19 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A), 50 shots .44 JHP ammo (1d8). Unbeknownst to the party, the raiders are actually hired by Dotson to try and eliminate a few party members. Dotson knows it will be cheaper to hire a few thugs than actually pay all the party members what he has promised. For this reason, the Raiders and Caravan Guards will fire at each other, but the GM should roll the dice behind a screen, as every shot the Raiders and Guards make aren't intended to hit. Every shot will be a miss. Don't mention this fact or make a big deal out of it unless one of the players specifically asks why they seem to be missing; if a player does that, have him or her make a Roll Against Perception with a -1 penalty. If the roll succeeds, the character notices that the Raiders and the Guards are aiming so they miss. The Raiders will go after the party, however, and the fight should be a furious one. When at least 14 Raiders have been killed, the rest retreat. Whether or not the party follows is up to them; the Raiders will no longer fight unless obviously cornered, preferring to get away instead. After the battle, Jeremiah will approach the party. Read the following:

The scarred man reaches out to shake your hands in turn. His grasp is firm, and his eyes have genuine thanks in them. "I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your help. Those Raiders have consistently attacked us and have killed some of my best guards. You have my thanks." Jeremiah returns to barking orders at the guards and cowhands, and before long, everyone moves out.

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On the eighth day, the party reaches Tulsa sometime in the mid-afternoon.

Chapter 3 – The True Believers
When the party reaches Tulsa, read the following: After hours of trudging through blackened and burned ruins, a large building comes into view in the distance. As the caravan approaches, you realize it isn't just large, it's enormous; its walls must be over 50 meters tall. Made of giant chunks of scrap metal and concrete, you can barely make out people walking along the top, and gun turrets placed at regular intervals. You realize you aren't looking at a building at all, but instead a defensive structure. The caravan draws nearer, and Jeremiah makes his way over towards the party. "This is Tulsa, a veritable diamond in the rough around here. Go but fifteen miles west of this camp, and you're in the Great Wastes, and you might as well kiss your asses goodbye. Tulsa is run by a group that calls themselves the True Believers you'll know a Believer when you see 'em. They've all got huge crosses around their necks. They pretty much write the laws around here, so be careful of 'em. The caravan heads back to Springfield in 10 days. You can cool your heels around Tulsa, or you can take a look around the countryside - doesn't matter to me. We leave at sunrise on the 10th day whether you all are here or not. If you're interested in traveling back with us, I'd be glad to have you on again as guards." Finished, Jeremiah returns to the remainder of the group, and the city walls loom high over you. Give the party a minute to respond to Jeremiah's warnings. They'll probably make plans to spend their money, or discuss other options. After a moment, read the following. After a while, you realize the caravan is in a large corral in front of a gate that looks tiny next to the walls. Behind you, a metal gate closes, effectively locking the Brahmin in the corral. Jeremiah is talking with a huge man in metal armor emblazoned with a large, purple cross on the chestplate. Although you can't make out their words, it appears Jeremiah is processing your entry into the city. Several other guards look on, each armed with wicked-looking machineguns. Occasionally, someone takes a drink from a canteen or spits into the dust. After what seems like forever, a small side door opens and Jeremiah waves everyone over with a flick of the wrist. "Alright," he says, "here's your pay," handing each of you the promised amount in turn. "Meet by this gate in 10 days time if you want to come back with us. If not, have fun, and stay out of trouble." With that, he points towards a wretched-looking tunnel through the walls. "Welcome to Tulsa," Jeremiah says as he goes back to controlling the Brahmin. For completing the Brahmin Drive, each party member should receive 150 Experience Points. Once inside the city, the party can get some idea of just how immense a settlement Tulsa is. Entirely encased in the protective walls, the town is divided into roughly three areas: the residential zone, the industrial zone, and the farm zone. See the map below for important areas and information:

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1. Brahmin Corral - This crude but effective corral is used as a staging area for Brahmin entering and leaving the city. This is where the characters will likely begin their adventures in Tulsa. The small door through the walls is on the southwest corner. 2. Main Gates - These massive structures are the main gates to Tulsa, although they haven't opened in years. Most business is done through one of the many small gates around the city - farmer's gate, cowboy's gate, merchant's gate, and traveler's gate. These gates could, conceivably, open wide enough to let six or seven cars drive through abreast. 3. The Farm Zone - The farm zone is where some of Tulsa's food is grown, and also holds the stockyards. It is almost evenly divided between fields of wheat and corn, and Brahmin corrals and slaughterhouses. This area is patrolled lightly, but no one is allowed into this zone without a pass. 4. Industrial Zone - The largest zone in Tulsa the Industrial Zone houses the dozens of factories that turn out clothes, bullets, and other valuable resources. This area is highly patrolled by guards, and no one is allowed into this zone without a specific pass. 5. The Believer's Cathedral - Easily the largest and most ornate structure in town, the Believer's Cathedral is an abominable cross between old Gothic architecture and the gaudy art deco style from the 20th Century. It is a huge concrete structure with stained-glass windows, and each window contains an ornate picture depicting some event from the War or immediately after. Inside, the Cathedral can easily hold 10,000 people, and there is a giant television screen on the far wall where the face of whatever Elder happens to be preaching is projected. The Cathedral is usually locked up tight when no services are being held. 6. Elder's offices - The offices of Elders and church clergy are in these squat brick

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houses behind the Cathedral. Each house has at least two guards stationed in it at all times, although those guards may not be obvious to the casual observer. 7. Church of St. Pat evangelist, this little also serves to minister man named Father Tim. completely ignorant of For more information on the Evangelist - Named for Pat Robertson, famous television church handles overflow crowds from the Cathedral services and to Outsiders. The church is run by a young but sickly looking Father Tim is unusual for a Believer clergyman, as he is the Believer's operations and truly subscribes to his faith. Father Tim, see the NPC roster, below.

8. Welcome Office - The Welcome Office is a converted semi-trailer just inside of the main gate. It is here that Outsiders and Citizens are issued passes. The Welcome Office is run by a brash young bureaucrat named Jake who loves to push paper around and not do much else, which is exactly why he was hired. Jake (x1) HP: 30 DT: 3 DR: 30% AC: 20 To-Hit (Small Guns): 47% Weapon: Desert Eagle 44 (W: 5 lbs. Dmg: +10 Rng: 19 AP S: 5 T: 6 B: N/A), .44 JPH (x20) (1d8). 9. Stores - These stores don't really sell anything useful, unless the party is interested in buying clothes, shoes, or toys. Since guns are illegal to buy and sell in Tulsa, they will have to look elsewhere for weapons. 10. Rick's Dry Goods - Rick's Dry Goods is a Believer-run store that exists specifically so Outsiders can stock up between trips to the wastes. Rick is a young, callow Believer who will refer anyone who comes into his store not wearing a silver cross to either the Church of St. Pat or the Church of St. Jerry. Rocks charges about 150% of an item’s listed price. Rick’s Dry Goods – Antidote (x2), Stimpack (x10), Flare (x5), shovel (x2), Leather Jacket (x3), Leather Armor (x2) 11. The Church of St. Jerry the Righteous - The Church of Saint Jerry is named for the Reverend Jerry Falwell, a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher from the 20th Century. It handles overflow from the Cathedral and serves as a base of operations for missionaries heading to other cities. Unless there is a missionary meeting or a church service, the building is usually locked up tight. 12. The Residential Zone - Rows of similar-looking cookie-cutter houses line the streets of Tulsa's residential zone, where close to 40,000 people live. There are children everywhere in the Residential Zone, as Believers are encouraged to have as many kids as possible to create an Army that will eventually return America to its Godly roots. There are guard patrols everywhere, and only people who either wear a silver cross prominently around their necks or have a pass are allowed here. Outsiders who fail to produce a pass are executed immediately. 13. Maria Dotson's house - Although it looks like everyone else's house, this building - #1323 Christopher Lane - is where Maria Dotson lives. Since Maria keeps a rather high profile, staying active in many church-related groups, nearly any adult Believer can tell the party where to find her. For a complete profile of Maria Dotson, see the NPC roster, below. Maria’s House Getting to Maria Dotson’s house is a relatively simple affair; first, the party must get a Residential Zone pass from the Welcome Office. Residential Zone passes are issued for 24 hour time periods, and cost nothing, although Jake tends to take weeks to process anything unless the proper incentive is provided (about 10 bits per party member). Once Jake has been bribed, the party is free to enter the Residential Zone. To play up the air of oppression that seeps through Tulsa, have the party encounter several armed guards. These guards will always carry heavy machineguns, and should obviously be much more than the characters could ever hope to fight off. They guards

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demand the pass, and at least one of them will test the pass for “authenticity.” guard might need another 10 bit “incentive” to return the pass.

This

Once the characters have Maria Dotson’s address from someone, have a pass, and have dealt with the guards, getting there is easy. Once at her door, read the following. Your knocks echo across the sticky streets. Far off, you hear children screaming happily and a dog barking. The stench of unwashed people is strong in this section of the city, as is the odor of garbage. After a moment, the door opens slightly, and a woman’s face peers at you from behind a chain. “Can I help you?” she says. If the characters indicate they have a letter from Mayor Dotson in Springfield, she quickly unlatches the chain and lets them in. Read the following: “Sorry about that. Sometimes, I can’t be too sure around here.” Maria takes the enormous cross off, her long hair getting caught in the chain. She curses, but you can see she’s an intelligent and lovely woman. She tosses the cross on a table and says, “stupid thing. It’s heavier than hell. Now, you have a letter for me?” The characters should give her the letter. Maria thanks them profusely, and tells the characters that she will have a response for them in five or six days – they can come by and pick it up anytime after that. If questioned about the lengthy time between when she got the letter and when she is responding, Maria simply says that she’s very busy and it takes her a long time to write anything. Maria tells the characters that they might want to consider finding work in the interim, as Tulsa can be a fairly boring town and they don’t want to attract too much attention to themselves as Outsiders. Adventure Concludes This is where the sample adventure concludes. The complete “Many Faces, One Mask” adventure will be available for download sometime in May of 2001 at http://www.iamapsycho.com. Until that time, GMs are encouraged to make up their own ending using the characters and locations provided, or make up their own adventures for the characters to become involved in. Or, you can use this adventure as a model to write your own. “Many Faces, One Mask” is the first in a series of adventures that will eventually involve three forces each attempting to take control of the resourcerich area east of the Great Wastes. Each force has its own agenda, and parties will eventually have to pick loyalties if they remain involved in this little war. Political intrigue, suspenseful battles, and good storytelling abound in this actionpacked epic campaign.

NPC Roster
Mayor John Dotson Mayor Dotson is a bit of an enigma; he’s a street urchin who became such a successful thief and charlatan that he decided to try his hand at legitimate business. Finding it equally as successful, especially after turning Springfield into his own private empire, Dotson is beginning to realize just how far his power and wealth can reach. To this end, he is cooking up plots within plots, attempting to embroil the True Believers to the south in an inner struggle so that he can consolidate his forces and eventually take them over. Dotson would never attack Tulsa with an army, but his business partners would be more than happy to enter the market, ruin the local economy, and then establish Dotson as a kind of Savior to sort the miserable people out from the strife of a Church turned against itself and a shattered economy. Dotson is extremely shrewd and anticipates plots against him; unless he can trust a pawn, that person usually disappears shortly after they cease becoming useful.

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Jeremiah the Caravan Driver Jeremiah, or “just Jeremiah,” is one of Dotson’s friends from their life on the streets together. Jeremiah is a little concerned with how power-hungry Dotson has become lately, but continues to support his old friend, probably both out of fear as well as out of friendship. Jeremiah is one of Dotson’s most trusted supporters and advisors, and in addition to running Dotson’s personal herd of cattle down to slaughterhouses in Tulsa, is more or less in charge of Springfield’s Brahmin yards, although Jeremiah prefers to reside over his domain from behind the scenes. He genuinely cares about the characters and everyone else under his control, and sees himself as a person who has had some very good luck and can help others who are less fortunate than himself. Maria Dotson Maria Dotson really isn’t Mayor Dotson’s sister, of course – besides the almost 30 year age difference, they aren’t related at all. Maria Dotson is one of the Mayor’s supremely loyal lieutenants, and is his “inside operative” in Tulsa. She has steadily been feeding him information on everything from Church activities to guard patrol patterns, and Dotson has been pouring over this data, analyzing it for patterns and weakness, trying to think of how best to utilize his rather limited resources in Tulsa. Maria, in turn, has been organizing a “resistance” group of sorts in Tulsa itself – asking questions to people about the Believer religion, questions no one can answer. Of course, she isn’t leading the group at all – merely planting the seeds of doubt in enough people so they begin to mobilize on their own. So far, either through luck or skill, Maria has not yet attracted the attention of the Elders. Father Tim Gibbon Father Tim, the newly-appointed minister of the Church of St. Pat the Evangelist, is one of Tulsa’s truly pious priests. Raised from a young age in the priesthood, Father Tim loves what he does – bringing the Biblical Word of the True Believers to anyone who hasn’t been blessed enough to hear It. He came from a long line of preachers, people who could trace their roots back the fundamentalist churches that littered the Tulsa landscape before the War. His father is one of the Elders, and his mother is a leader of a large women’s group. Tim believes strongly in many of the ideals of the True Believers: Jesus suffered for everyone, Jesus wanted people to make their own lives on Earth better. His ignorance of the real nature of the Believers may be self-imposed; he has had his doubts before, and if confronted with any hard evidence, Father Tim would most likely admit as much. First and foremost, Father Tim cares about helping other people, and feels in his heart that he is doing so in the best way possible.

Appendix G - Recommended Books and Films
For more recommendations, reviews, and links to where you can buy these and other items, check the Fallout website at http://www.iamapsycho.com/fallout/resources.htm Books Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. Available from Harper Perennial, 1999. Available from Griffin Trade

Apocalypse Movies: End of the World Cinema by Kim Newman. Paperbacks, 1998.

Bangs and Whimpers: Stories About the End of the World, edited by James Frenkel. Available from Lowell House, 1999. Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Danse Macabre by Stephen King. Earth by David Brin. Available from Bantam-Doubleday Dell, 1963. Available from Viking, 1981.

Available from Bantam Books, 1990. Available from Fawcett Books, 1989.

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart.

The Effects of Nuclear Weapons: 3rd Edition (1977), edited by Samuel Glasstone and Philip J. Dolan. Available from United States Department of Defense, 1977. Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerru Pournelle. Paperbacks, 1977. The New Madrid Run by Michael Resig. Available from Fawcett

Available from Clear Creek Press, 1998.

On the Beach by Nevil Shute. The Postman by David Brin.

Available from Ballantine Mass Market Paperback, 1989. Available from Bantam Books, 1997. Available from the New American

The Stand: Complete and Uncut by Stephen King. Library, 1991.

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The Third World War: August 1985 by General Sir John Hackett, et al. McMillan, 1979. Movies